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Stuff from Johannesburg

Taxi industry urged to adhere to COVID-19 protocols

The Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, has called on taxi industry leaders to continue to comply with the COVID-19 protocols, as volumes of movement are expected to increase during the festive season.

“We are appealing to the taxi industry to comply with COVID-19 protocols and law enforcement regulations, refrain from taxi violence and to make sure they protect themselves and commuters against COVID-19,” Mamabolo said.

Together with leaders from the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and the Gauteng National Taxi Alliance, the MEC on Wednesday held a remembrance ceremony to pay respect to victims of COVID-19 and gender-based violence (GBV) at the Bosman taxi rank in Tshwane.

The President has directed that from 25 November until 29 November, the nation should embark on five days of mourning, particularly for the victims of COVID-19 and those who have lost their lives through Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).

South Africa is now observing the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, as well the commencement of the five days of remembrance.

During this period, the flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country from 6am – 6pm.

“One of the best ways to honour the memory of those who have departed due to COVID-19 is to vow to never let our guard down in an effort to stop the spread of Coronavirus,” Mamabolo said.

He emphasised the importance of government intensifying its work with all stakeholders to put an end to GBV, which has been described as the second pandemic.

MEC engages health workers

In his capacity as acting MEC for Health, Mamabolo proceeded to the Tshwane District Hospital, where he held an engagement with health workers.

In Gauteng, 4 989 people have passed away because of COVID-19. The Gauteng Department of Health has lost 45 employees to date.

“The health workers who died did not die in vain. They lost their lives in the line of duty, working hard to ensure that we minimise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We owe them a debt of gratitude and we need to continue working hard to stop the spread of Coronavirus in their honour.

“Equally so, many members of society succumbed to COVID-19. We remember them today and in their memory, each member of the community must continue to observe the non-pharmaceutical interventions such as maintaining physical distancing, maintaining regular hand hygiene, and wearing a mask,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Museum Africa: The Memory of the Market

Long before it was a sanctuary for artifacts, this building was the Johannesburg Municipal Fruit and Vegetable Market, completed in 1913. At the time, it was an architectural marvel of the industrial age, featuring a massive, vaulted roof supported by reinforced concrete and steel—a design intended to keep the produce cool in the biting Highveld sun. The site was chosen for its proximity to the railway lines, allowing fresh goods from across Southern Africa to be funneled directly into the heart of the city. For decades, it was a place of frantic, multi-racial commerce where the air was thick with the smell of citrus and the shouts of auctioneers. In 1994—the same year South Africa held its first democratic elections—the market was transformed into Museum Africa, symbolically turning a site of physical sustenance into one of intellectual and historical nourishment.