Will hillbrow ever come back?

[Trelawny]

I don't understand how a building can be hijacked? Why doesn't the army come in and take it over. And the city sell the building to investors?

[Kifayat13]

By hijack do you mean essentially what happened on Jerusalema, except the hijacker doesn't have good intentions?

[greenandgold]

Ok I have limited knowledge on this issue but I will try to clarify.

During the Apartheid era all Hillbrow buildings belonged to white investors and the residents were all white until the early 90s when all people were allowed into the area.

When non-whites were allowed to move in it is said that the area was first invaded by mostly non South Africans who were running away from bad political situations in their countries. I was informed that the guys were not hygienic they dumped all over the place making the place filthy and the white owners lost interest in coming to the area as most were often robbed at gun point or the tenants will simply avoid paying rent and threatened to throw them from the last floor if you persisted on getting their rent. The police and city council were not useful in evictions as they would settle for bribes instead and the owners of the buildings abounded them and water and power was cut from the buildings.

All buildings belong to their owners but they are hardly maintained and the owners careless about them as people have moved in illegally.

Hillbrow was a shock the first time I visited the first time and in one street you will bet you are in Somali and some of the buildings are in a state.

There are all bad stories you will hear about Hillbrow mostly true.
One thing that has been better is the collection of dirt which has slightly improved from the what was once the case and many other improvements but the people who reside there are too careless to give a thought about the area and the municipality is hardly enforcing the by-laws.

[MrChavcore]

my amercian flatmate made a comment about how impressive the johannesburg skyline looked during the world cup... i didnt have the balls to tell him that most of those buildings were derelict, filthy and housed illegal immigrants and drug pushers. its so sad that an area that once had unlimited potential had just been allowed to rot like that right under everyone's noses!

[Kifayat13]

Yeah, it sounds like Hillbrow needs to be blitzed by the military to remove the scum and then it's police force expanded and an accountability/anti-corruption measure of some sort enacted.

[greenandgold]

Originally Posted by MrChavcore

my amercian flatmate made a comment about how impressive the johannesburg skyline looked during the world cup... i didnt have the balls to tell him that most of those buildings were derelict, filthy and housed illegal immigrants and drug pushers. its so sad that an area that once had unlimited potential had just been allowed to rot like that right under everyone's noses!

Don't confuse the CBD with Hillbrow, the CBD is mostly fine and a number of revamps have been made there and many are underway and that is where most of the noticeable buildings are and then Hillbrow which is just attached to the CBD and thats where the work needs to be done.

[greenandgold]

Originally Posted by kulani

image hosted on flickr

For those who can't tell the diffence,

The CBD is on the Center right of the picture and Hillbrow is the the far left with that tower.

[Matthias Offodile]

I have once seen an old Hillbrow "movie" on youtube...I´ll try to find it again. and post it.

[Yuri S Andrade]

Is this one?



It's impressive. Johannesburg density beat all American cities back then, except New York and Chicago. Notice the streets: they are spotless.

[Pule]

Originally Posted by greenandgold

During the Apartheid era all Hillbrow buildings belonged to white investors and the residents were all white until the early 90s when all people were allowed into the area.

From the 80s Hillbrow have been the racially mixed area, things changed when wrong people envaded the area and brought thier habit filth and everybody fled the area. If those who used to frequent the area tell you about it, you will develop xhenophobic mind.

[goliath01]

Pule you are right.
Today I can say I was privileged to have seen the cbd and Hillbrow in its former glory.
Hillbrow was the epicentre of a cultural revolution in South Africa. It was a melting pot of nations, (mostly europeans).
A lot of people dont know, specially black SAns, but it was here that many protests and campaigns were held to end Apartheid by the more liberal and open minded white SAns.
You would find everything here.
There was a large German community in the area. They loved it. I remember them saying that JHB was the 2nd NYC of the world, but better because it was more relaxed and friendly.
You would also find massive Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Jewish, British and Lebanese communities in the area.
I lost count the number of times I went up the Hillbrow tower, boy was it awesome.
My family had a shop in Hillbrow, so I was there nearly every second day.
I used to come to town by bus from the burbs.
Mom worked in the cbd, old First National Bank head office in Commissioner Street.
Everything was clean, safe and well looked after.
People left Hillbrow in droves because after liberation caos went down. A lot of shootings. People were shitting on the pavements in broad day light!!!! Not because they didnt have toilets, but on purpose. And the black SAns who lived in Hillbrow, (yes there were blacks living in Hillbrow during Apartheid), those were the first to be killed. Labeled as traitors for living between whites.
I knew quite a few... what a shame. They were wonderful people, truely sad.
And thats just a small part of what went down.
Anyway, thats how South Africa lost one of the most spectacular places ever. It could have been ground zero for the re-birth of SA as a truely democratic country.

[Matthias Offodile]

Originally Posted by Yuri S Andrade

Is this one?



It's impressive. Johannesburg density beat all American cities back then, except New York and Chicago. Notice the streets: they are spotless.

No, it wasn´t this! But that´s a nice one , too.

The streets are indeed spotlessly clean.

[Lefa]

The hijack city

2010-07-04 13:00

Building hijackings, which span the Johannesburg city quadrant defined as Region F, is costing property owners and government millions of rands monthly in unpaid rentals and municipal bills.

Khadija bradlow

Criminals involved in hijacking dilapidated buildings in the *Johannesburg *inner city are *operating with impunity – in some cases even opening up bank accounts to siphon off rent money destined for the *buildings’ owners.

A month-long City Press *investigation has found that as many as 400 buildings in the city have been systematically stolen from their owners and taken over by so-called “committees”.

Residents claim the City of *Johannesburg has turned a blind eye to their plight despite being handed vital information they could use to start criminal *proceedings.

The problem, which spans the city quadrant defined as Region F, is costing property owners and government millions of rands monthly in unpaid rentals and municipal bills.

A source in the city council said cases only came to their *attention once people complained, and even then, usually only after their services were cut.

He said: “The difficult part is when the owner is not *complaining,” and added that the city did not have a database *specifying which of the 1?300 *classified “bad buildings” had been hijacked.

According to Hawks spokesperson Musa Zondi, building *hijacking has a far-reaching *impact because it happens more frequently in cities that drive the economy.

One highly placed source close to the task team set up by the Hawks to investigate building *hijackings said people involved often *operate as syndicates and are *involved in sophisticated forms of white-collar crime including money laundering and tax *evasion.

He said: “It’s more than just a couple of guys. You even get *cases of criminals getting into the Cipro (companies *register) and changing company directorhips to put their names there.”

Zondi concurred that *organised crime forms the “core” of building hijackings.

According to the Friends of the Inner City Forum, which assists inner city residents with *housing issues, the city’s administration is also part of the *problem.

The forum’s spokesperson, Moses ka Moyo, said: “There’s this huge myth that people in Hillbrow don’t pay rent. They do, it just never gets to the owner.”

He showed City Press a copy of a letter sent earlier this year to the council from residents of Dolphin Square in Hillbrow.

Despite a traceable owner, the building was hijacked two years ago and is now managed by a committee.

The municipal account *reflects arrears of nearly R5?million but the building continues to receive water and electricity.

The letter contains the *banking details of the committee, into which nearly R84?000 is deposited monthly by the 544 residents and shop owners.

In the letter, residents plead for the mayor and police to intervene, saying they have been *bullied and intimidated by *committee members since April, when they were advised to pay their rent to the City of *Johannesburg. The letter has not been *acknowledged.

One of the residents, who spoke to City Press on condition of anonymity, said she was now paying her bills directly to the municipality. She said the *committee had *threatened to cut her lights since she stopped *paying them.

During the interview, an old woman on crutches came into the office requesting assistance. She said she had fallen from a height in the building she lived in after a snake was thrown at her by a committee member.

City Press is in possession of a mountain of correspondence sent by the forum to the office of mayor Amos Masondo as well as to the city’s legal department over three years – providing, among other things, banking *details of the committees.

Many of the buildings City Press visited were in an *advanced state of disrepair and some had had no municipal *services for more than a year.

In some cases, services have been cut off due to non-payment, even though residents pay rent and levies every month. But *others, like one building in Plein Street continue to get water and electricity, despite outstanding municipal accounts running into the millions.

The forum said some of the *hijackers are in cahoots with *corrupt officials at Johannesburg Water and City Power.

In May 2008, for instance, the residents of a hijacked inner city building, Arma Court, wrote to City Power complaining about the dangers posed by illegal electricy connections in the building. They attached the consumer *disconnection card from the city* *reflecting arrears in excess of R779?000.

The city’s power utility reportedly did nothing to solve the problem and the building’s *committee continues its reign.

Contacted for comment, a woman in the offices of the *manager responsible for Region F, Nathi Mthethwa, said these were “sensitive matters” on which neither Mthethwa nor the task team could comment.

She said: “They’ve all been sworn to secrecy at this point.”

All cases under investigation by the task team are still in court and are yet to be finalised.

- City Press

[gurudeva]

CBD and Hillbrow are similar to some places of Manhattan New York

[kulani]

As a 15 year old boy, i had the opportunity to stay at the Karos hotel (was also known as The Johannesburger, i think its cnr of Claim and Wolmarans street) in 1992-1993 when Anglo American brought us for interviews at 55 Marshal Street for university scholarships. At this stage i was one of those bright spark high school kids doing grade 8 and Anglo had earmarked us to study engineering at University of Witwatersrand and UCT.

This hotel was literally a 4-5 star hotel. It was amazing and i still can't forget the experience being picked up outside the lobby and heading to Anglo American's head office in 55 marshall street to be taken by helicopter to one of Anglo's mining operations in Kimberly. My first stay in a 4 star hotel. I still remember the night life, it was just so amazing. Later when i went to London's Piccadilly circus in 1999, i couldn't help but remember hillbrow in its glorious days. But a year later, when i returned to attend winter school the entire place was invaded by prostitutes and drug dealers.

Its just hard to explain it to someone who has never seen or experienced hillbrow back then.

[Pule]

Originally Posted by Yuri S Andrade

Is this one?



It's impressive. Johannesburg density beat all American cities back then, except New York and Chicago. Notice the streets: they are spotless.

Those were the days when the council, even though racism was the order of the day, of the day placed appropriate people in appropriate positions. I cry for Hillbrow

[Pule]

Originally Posted by kulani

As a 15 year old boy, i had the opportunity to stay at the Karos hotel (was also known as The Johannesburger, i think its cnr of Claim and Wolmarans street) in 1992-1993 when Anglo American brought us for interviews at 55 Marshal Street for university scholarships. At this stage i was one of those bright spark high school kids doing grade 8 and Anglo had earmarked us to study engineering at University of Witwatersrand and UCT.

This hotel was literally a 4-5 star hotel. It was amazing and i still can't forget the experience being picked up outside the lobby and heading to Anglo American's head office in 55 marshall street to be taken by helicopter to one of Anglo's mining operations in Kimberly. My first stay in a 4 star hotel. I still remember the night life, it was just so amazing. Later when i went to London's Piccadilly circus in 1999, i couldn't help but remember hillbrow in its glorious days. But a year later, when i returned to attend winter school the entire place was invaded by prostitutes and drug dealers.

Its just hard to explain it to someone who has never seen or experienced hillbrow back then.

And today...





No matter how political we may try to justify the situation in Hillbrow today, we have failed the Joburgers and having watched the video Yuri posted and comments from the likes of Kulani, I understand why people are so pessimistic about prospects of the city. How do you justify what you see in the pic I have posted when comparing it to that video? Hillbrow has definately gone to the dogs and for it to be turned around we need the council with balls.

If Hillbrow was as nice as it is shown in the video, it could have left unforgettible memories to the visitors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup unlike today were visitors are not saying anything about Joburg even though most of them were in the city

[Trelawny]

Hillbrow councils needs to talks to the councils in Harlem NY. That place was once a horrid place filled with drugies and crips and bloods. Now it's a nice up and coming area, filled with opportunities. Once The CBD becomes great Hillbrow will improve and change for the better.

[Yuri S Andrade]

Originally Posted by goliath01

Pule you are right.
Today I can say I was privileged to have seen the cbd and Hillbrow in its former glory.
Hillbrow was the epicentre of a cultural revolution in South Africa. It was a melting pot of nations, (mostly europeans).
A lot of people dont know, specially black SAns, but it was here that many protests and campaigns were held to end Apartheid by the more liberal and open minded white SAns.
You would find everything here.
There was a large German community in the area. They loved it. I remember them saying that JHB was the 2nd NYC of the world, but better because it was more relaxed and friendly.
You would also find massive Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Jewish, British and Lebanese communities in the area.
I lost count the number of times I went up the Hillbrow tower, boy was it awesome.
My family had a shop in Hillbrow, so I was there nearly every second day.
I used to come to town by bus from the burbs.
Mom worked in the cbd, old First National Bank head office in Commissioner Street.
Everything was clean, safe and well looked after.
People left Hillbrow in droves because after liberation caos went down. A lot of shootings. People were shitting on the pavements in broad day light!!!! Not because they didnt have toilets, but on purpose. And the black SAns who lived in Hillbrow, (yes there were blacks living in Hillbrow during Apartheid), those were the first to be killed. Labeled as traitors for living between whites.
I knew quite a few... what a shame. They were wonderful people, truely sad.
And thats just a small part of what went down.
Anyway, thats how South Africa lost one of the most spectacular places ever. It could have been ground zero for the re-birth of SA as a truely democratic country.

I have no words. It's so, so sad what happened to Hillbrow and to CBD as well.

Reading this narrative, watching the videos, when can say for sure Johannesburg had no match here in Southern Hemisphere: Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Melborune were far behind from Johannesburg, a truly World Class A City, um stair behind London and New York. Johannesburg was the protagonist. Things were happening there first.

I hope so much central Johannesburg recoveries its old glory, but now I'm pessimistic like the colleagues around here.

I'm not talking about only central Johannesburg, but about all the city, all the country. You see, people should be able to walk around 7 p.m, 11 p.m., 2 a.m. I'm obsessed about the World Cups, so I watched everything, and the Brazilian press was impressed with the affluence of Johannesburg suburbs (but that's because they are ignorant). However, the absence of night activity on the city was very bad to Johannesburg image.

Originally Posted by Pule

Those were the days when the council, even though racism was the order of the day, placed appropriate people in appropriate positions. I cry for Hillbrow

Originally Posted by Pule

No matter how political we may try to justify the situation in Hillbrow today, we have failed the Joburgers and having watched the video Yuri posted and comments from the likes of Kulani, I understand why people are so pessimistic about prospects of the city. How do you justify what you see in the pic I have posted when comparing it to that video? Hillbrow has definately gone to the dogs and for it to be turned around we need the council with balls.

If Hillbrow was as nice as it is shown in the video, it could have left unforgettible memories to the visitors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup unlike today were visitors are not saying anything about Joburg even though most of them were in the city

Very powerful statements.

I must admit, when I read this thread before "bringing it from the dead", I was a little bit disturbed with your declarations against the immigrants from other parts of Africa. But now I'm understanding your point. It's so sad to see this urban jewel in such bad shape and leniency of the authorities. The first quote got me: you don't wanna know about apartheid, black vs. white, immigrants, politics, etc. etc. You just wanna Hillbrow/CBD back.

Your last paragraph is very interesting as well. The whole world improved a lot in the last 25 years. Almost all cities look (and are) much better now. What if those thousands of tourists could see an alternative 2010's Hillbrow (a very improved version of 1985's Hillbrow)?

P.S. Just out of curiosity: how dangerous is to walk around Hillbrow today? What kinds of things the person could expect? Would race be a factor?

[Pule]

IMHO, Hollbrow is walkable as I have walked and taken pics in that part of the city with no intimidation at all but looking at it, no tourists will believe that they will be safe in the area especially as Joburg is know for it's hostility.

I have walked around Joubert Park, Park Station, hillbrow, Yeoville and other parts of the CBD which are not favourable to ordinary South Africans and I'm talking from knowledge. I have sent suggestions to the City Council and have requested them to meet us the SSC guys as we want to contribute posetively to our beloved CBD but they too busy to listen to us. They don't care, I get angry when I look at videos on youtube showing the bad side of Joburg and people commenting that "that's Africa for you" and on the other hand we call ourselves the World Class African City" or maybe we mean that by African standard this city is world class? These people are spitting on my Africanity, they dragging my being into the mud.