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Joburg
Central Update - Joburg Central
Newsletter October 2011
Welcome to the Joburg Central
Newsletter, October 2011.
Thank goodness it has finally rained ...
we can all breathe again!
It seems the City is coming to its
senses, with plans in the pipeline to
make areas in the CBD only for public
transport, and with lanes for cyclists
and pedestrians already becoming part of
our urban landscape. With less traffic
we will be able to breathe more easily,
and not just after the spring rains.
For a comprehensive article on the
rejuvenation of the inner city, read the
story Defeating Urban Decay, it really
does cover a lot of ground. If the
Decking of the Railways takes place,
Joburg will take a huge leap into the
future. So much to read - and think -
about!
There's some great art too ... can you
believe the Joburg Art Gallery has been
robbed of valuable bronze sculptures, by
copper thieves? Perhaps YOU can help.
Until next month,
Media man ... and the Joburg Central
team
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Braamfontein link to CBD |
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An ambitious Johannesburg
inner-city regeneration project,
which is being pursued in
partnership with the State-owned
Passenger Rail Agency of South
Africa, could see unused land
between Fordsburg and Doornfontein
developed and structures created
above railway lines for
residential and business use, says
city mayoral committee member for
economic development Sello Lemao. |
The ‘Decking of the Railways’ project
will see the creation of a decking
structure over the rail- way lines to
become a new residential and business
development. Together with underused
land between the core of the inner city
and Braamfontein, the space will support
new investment and the automatic
regeneration of the area.
Photo: This is how the envisaged railway
decking will link Braamfontein to the
CBD of Joburg
Read more |
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Food Gardens take root in inner Joburg |
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An agriculture project has seen
the spread of city rooftop
gardens. A new project funded by
the Johannesburg Development
Agency (JDA) in partnership with
the Affordable Housing Company and
the Greenhouse Project has seen
the sprouting of several rooftop
gardens, where residents are
cultivating vegetables. |
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The pilot project was launched two
months ago on the rooftop of the African
Diamond Building at 101 Goud Street. The
project is also part of the JDA
corporate social responsibility
programme, which seeks to support
communities in the areas within which
the agency's development projects are
located.
Photo: Downtown Johannesburg is not only
getting a facelift in terms of revamped
living spaces - food gardens are helping
to feed urban residents
Read more |
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Joburg transport needs speedy solution |
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Every day Joburg residents are
affected by congestion, long
travel times, high transport
costs, potholed and untarred
roads, and a lack of safety. A
recent Tom Tom survey showed that
78 percent of the 3.8 million
drivers on Joburg roads are stuck
in severe traffic jams every day. |
One possible solution, recently
proposed, is that private cars are
forbidden is certain parts of the city
CBD. During Transport Focus Week early
in September, questions were asked to
the public about what kind of transport
system they want in Joburg.
Photo: To avoid the perpetual gridlocks
Joburg experiences on a daily basis, the
City is encouraging bicycles, motorbikes
and - walking.
Read more |
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Transport Month |
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Cllr Rehana Moosajee, MMC for
Transportation in the City of
Joburg would like to invite the
residents of Joburg to participate
in the exciting 2011 Transport
Month activities. |
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This year’s theme is “Connecting people
and places” and the City will be
arranging five events aimed at enabling
the people of Joburg the opportunity to
explore and connect with each other and
key places of interest.
Photo: Connecting people and places is
what Transport Month is all about
Read more |
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Defeating urban decay |
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By 2000 the last psychological
blow fell. One could argue that
most businesses that were going to
leave inner city Joburg had done
so by the mid 1990s. But when the
JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange)
picked up its skirts and strutted
off to glitzy Sandton that was the
symbolic blow that brought home
the reality that the Joburg inner
city was defeated. |
Ownership has been among the blows to
send the inner-city decay ‘monster’ into
decline. By the time the JSE left, the
mining houses and three banks (FNB,
Standard and ABSA) had already resolved
to stay and rejuvenate the city, this is
where ownership really took root. The
Johannesburg Development Agency would be
another blow to the doom and gloom
providing initiative and vision. Throw
in Business Against Crime and other
civil initiatives and people began to
believe.
Photo: There are many projects and
movements afoot to rejuvenate the City
centre, and they are working.
Read more |
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City wants to restore confidence |
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The City of Johannesburg aims to
develop cohesive leadership
between its executive council and
municipal entities to ensure
accountability and coordinated
service delivery, city manager
designate Trevor Fowler said. |
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The city’s management strategy was also
aimed at managing and responding better
to customer and public expectations
through the introduction of structural
organisational changes.
Photo: Service delivery and
co-ordination between departments is the
new focus for the City
Read more |
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Mafadi in town |
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Mafadi property management and
letting company has launched
itself into Joburg’s inner city
space with a bang by landing two
major deals within weeks of each
other: the creative Maboneng
Precinct and the refurbished Ponte
building.
“We understand the city, we
understand the tenants, and
understand what they need from the
city,” said Mafadi’s MD, Simon
Rubin, “and so it made sense to
set Mafadi up on the back of this
massive renewal that is
happening.” |
Photo: Mafadi’s Simon Rubin is keen to
show that places like the Ponte are now
safe for families to live in
Read more |
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BRT back in action |
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Talks aimed at resolving the Rea
Vaya bus strike ended on 26
September, bus operator Piotrans
said, and BRT services have since
resumed.
The strike began on August 1 when
Samwu-affiliated bus drivers
downed tools, demanding better pay
and a review of a new shift
system. The bus drivers wanted
their basic monthly salary tripled
to R15 000, as well as an
improvement in their medical aid. |
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Photo: Rea Vaya buses are back in action
after the two-month bus drivers' strike
Read more |
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Youth conference for Jozi |
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Johannesburg
has been chosen as the host city
for the One Young World Summit
2013 which will see over 1 200
delegates from over 170 countries
coming together to share ideas in
an attempt to bring about positive
change in the world. |
Johannesburg won the bid after
delivering an impressive bid with
“ambition and vision” at the closing
ceremony of the youth leadership summit
in Zurich, Switzerland, this past
weekend.
The ceremony was attended by global
leaders, including Archbishop Emeritus
Desmond Tutu, Sir Bob Geldof, Jamie
Oliver and Muhammad Yunus.
Photo: One Young World co- founder,
David Jones, believes that Joburg can
handle world events ‘with style and
exuberance’
Read more |
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MacGarry at Standard Bank Gallery |
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End Game, an exhibition by Michael MacGarry,
runs at the Standard Bank Gallery
from 26 October until 3 December
2011. MacGarry is the winner of
the 2010 Standard Bank Young
Artist Award for Visual Art. His
exhibition in Johannesburg is the
final leg of a tour that began at
the National Arts Festival in
Grahamstown in June 2010.
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The exhibition comprises a series of
works related to MacGarry’s artist’s
statement: “My work investigates the
ongoing ramifications of imperialism on
the African continent, coupled with the
analysis and parody of the
socio-political and economic role of
political elites within this context, as
well as the increasingly complicated
dynamics attendant on the extraction of
natural resources – particularly oil –
in African nation-states
post-independence.”
Running concurrently in the downstairs
exhibition space at the gallery will be
Andries Gouws’ travelling exhibition,
Pedestrian Paintings. This
exhibition features oil paintings of
interiors and still-lifes, similar to
those on Gouws’ previous shows, as well
as a series of paintings of feet on
which he has been working since 2006.
Photo: MacGarry’s works force viewers to
rethink what they take for granted |
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First prize for Hajajj |
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The Sovereign Art Foundation is
pleased to announce that Hassan
Hajajj from Morocco has been
awarded the first prize in the
inaugural 2011 Sovereign African
Art Prize. The Sovereign Art
Foundation was set up by Howard
Bilton, a tax lawyer who turned
his art-collecting hobby into what
is now Asia's largest art prize. |
Hajajj will receive US$25,000 prize
money and the opportunity to take up a 3
month residency at the Nirox Foundation.
The winning work
Rubbish Odalisque will
travel to various cities around the
world and will be displayed alongside
the 30 finalists of the Sovereign
European and Asian Art Prizes in Europe
and Asia respectively.
The judges chose the winner during the
exhibition of 20 finalists displayed at
the FNB Joburg Art fair. After being
exhibited at the FNB Joburg Art Fair the
exhibition will move to Nirox Projects
at Arts on Main in Johannesburg for the
month of October. For details on how to
purchase the works please contact Anli
Lategan at
alategan@SovereignGroup.com
Photo: Hajajj's work Rubbish Odalisque
was selected from 20 finalists at The
Joburg Art Fair |
JICBC