June 22
South Africa: For Refugees in South Africa, Documents Do Not Always Mean Safety
For more than two decades, Brian Muziringa, 53, has built a life in South Africa through systems that have often treated his presence as temporary, doubtful or disposable. Read more »
South Africa: CoJ Protects Errant Councillors While Raiding Businesses
It is no exaggeration to say that duplicity and politics go hand in hand. Over the past few weeks, our newsroom has been following and reporting on cut-off operations by a… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Theatre of Struggle Celebrates 50 Years
For fifty years, the Market Theatre has served as more than just a space where plays were performed. During the apartheid era in South Africa, it became recognised as a symbol of… Read more »
South Africa: Fordsburg's Degradation Threatens Historic Oriental Plaza's Survival
For the last 50 years, city dwellers have been going to the Oriental Plaza to buy from a cornucopia of fabric shops, eat samoosas, drink a quick lassi or find the perfect wedding… Read more »
South Africa: Joburg Suburbs Suffer 16 Pipe Bursts in Six Days As City Warns Residents Not to Drink the Water
Sixteen water pipe bursts in six days have again put the city's ageing water infrastructure problems on full display. Read more »
June 15
South Africa: Failing Governance Forces Citizens to Privatise Public Services
Two stories that we feature in this week's newsletter underline just what is wrong with our city and our country. Crime is completely out of hand, and a lack of - or poor -… Read more »
South Africa: 15 Days Without Water for Thousands of Residents
Friday marked Day 15 without water for thousands of residents under Johannesburg's Commando system, with little clarity from officials about the cause of the lengthy water outage. Read more »
South Africa: 'You Left Us Traumatised' - Crosby Families Tell of Violent Raid
"The people who are meant to protect us, harm us. So who do we go to for protection then?" Read more »
June 11
South Africa: Scepticism Over Gauteng MEC's Child Safety Proposal
Child protection advocates have questioned Gauteng MEC for Social Development Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko's proposal to create a safe place for children in every ward, arguing that… Read more »
South Africa: 12 Days Without Water, and No Clear Explanation
A full 12 days after Rand Water carried out the first of its winter maintenance programmes, several suburbs in Johannesburg are still without water and despair is running high. Read more »
June 08
South Africa: Parks Department Plans Greening Drive for Underserved Communities
The Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) say that plans are being made to address the City's longstanding issue of unevenly distributed trees in parts of Johannesburg, with more… Read more »
South Africa: 'Waste Lords' Have Turned Joburg's Old Dumps Into Criminal Havens
Armed criminal syndicates have taken control of a number of Joburg's decommissioned landfills, selling access to them for illegal dumping, using them as a base for drug peddling… Read more »
South Africa: Civil Society Must Fight Back Against Kunene's Hate Speech
Johannesburg mayoral committee member for transport Kenny Kunene went on a supposed oversight visit to the south of the city last week. In the press release that preceded the… Read more »
June 04
South Africa: Doctors Use Their Own Money to Make Mayfair's Roads Safer
The intersection of Bartlett Road and Queens Street in Mayfair is a mad scramble of taxis, cars and pedestrians all trying to get where they need to be. It is wedged between… Read more »
June 03
South Africa: Johannesburg Express Kidnappings Surge As Criminals Target Digital Bank Accounts
Being hijacked in Johannesburg no longer necessarily ends when criminals drive away with a vehicle. Increasingly, victims are being held captive, driven around the city, forced to… Read more »
South Africa: Kunene's 'Rats' Remarks Cross a Dangerous Line
Johannesburg MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene has been accused of fuelling anti-migrant sentiment after making dehumanising and inflammatory remarks about undocumented migrants. Read more »
June 02
South Africa: Court Urges Due Process As It Finds in Favour of COJ in Building Dispute
While the South Gauteng High Court handed a legal victory to the City of Johannesburg regarding unlawful structures at the Marble Towers building, it said that the City still needs… Read more »
South Africa: Falling Crime Rate Masks a Terrifying Kidnapping Surge
Last week, Police Minister Firoz Cachalia released the latest crime statistics, which showed that a number of crime categories, including murder, have decreased in the country. Read more »
May 28
South Africa: A Joburg Budget That's Heavy On Tariff Increases and Light On Infrastructure Spend
A 2026/27 Johannesburg budget with huge tariff increases for residents and ratepayers, a R8.8 billion allocation to address critical infrastructure while there is a R185 billion… Read more »
May 24
South Africa: Mayor Snubs Soaring R6.8bn Eskom Debt in Disappointing Address
Much has been said about the R5,2 billion that the City of Joburg owes to Eskom. However, the reality is that the City's bill is much higher than that. In fact, it is R6.84 billion… Read more »
May 13
South Africa: Anti-Immigration Marches Raise Questions Over Vigilantism and Police Response
In recent months, groups campaigning against "illegal immigration" and crime have gathered growing momentum, drawing large crowds into streets. Their marches are often framed as a… Read more »
South Africa: New Liliesleaf Farm CEO Pledges to Revive the Historic Landmark
In the heart of Johannesburg lies Liliesleaf Farm, a beautiful and tranquil space that carries the weight of South Africa's rich history and the struggle for freedom. In the 1960s,… Read more »
May 11
South Africa: Johannesburg Faces a Total Financial Collapse While Executive Pay Soars
The past few days have been a lot to deal with for the residents of Johannesburg. After suspicions, murmurs, denials and lies, it has been confirmed that the City of Johannesburg… Read more »
May 10
South Africa: A Hefty Payday for Some City Executives
Salary increases of 62% have been proposed for the CEO of the Johannesburg Property Company and the CEO of the Joburg Tourism Company. The CEO of Joburg Theatres, also a City… Read more »
May 07
South Africa: A New Reservoir Brings Relief, but Water Issues Persist
The new Brixton reservoir and tower, opened with great pomp and ceremony this week, is a marvel of engineering and will alleviate some of the water issues within the Commando… Read more »
