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Special Official Funeral for retired ConCourt Justice Yvonne Mokgoro

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Special Official Funeral for retired ConCourt Justice Yvonne Mokgoro:

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that the late retired Constitutional Justice Yvonne Mokgoro be honoured with a Special Official Funeral Category 1.

Justice Mokgoro, who was an esteemed member of the Order of the Baobab, passed away on 9 May 2024 at the age of 73.

“In recognition of her distinguished career and contribution to the nation, President Ramaphosa has declared, in terms of Chapter 1.3.2(a) of the State, Official and Provincial Funeral Policy Manual, that the late justice be accorded a Special Official Funeral Category 1.

“The distinguishing features of a special official funeral in this category include ceremonial elements by the South African National Defence Force,” the Presidency said on Saturday.

President Ramaphosa has also declared that the national flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations around the country from Sunday, 19 May 2024, until the evening of the funeral on Thursday, 23 May 2024.

Further details of the funeral, which will be held in Johannesburg, will be made known in due course.

“Justice Mokgoro, one of the first Justices to be appointed to the Constitutional Court when it was established in 1994, was also the first black woman judge of the apex court.

“During her legal career, she taught a number of law courses at universities in South Africa, the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

“She was a member of the International Women’s Association (Washington DC), the International Association of Women Judges, the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the South African Women Lawyers Association. In 2006, she was selected as an icon of the history of Women Lawyers in South Africa,” the Presidency said.

READ | President mourns passing of retired ConCourt Justice Yvonne Mokgoro 

–SAnews.gov.za

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– MyZA

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.