Above: Jeppe, east Johannesburg, inhabited houses
Above: Jeppe, east Johannesburg, inhabited houses
Jeppe, east Johannesburg, inhabited houses
Need a haircut? Jeppe, east Johannesburg, inhabited houses
Bree Street, Central Johannesburg
The Chelsea Hotel, Hillbrow: a formerly popular hotel, now boarded up
"Air conditioned apartments" Berea, north east Johannesburg
274 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 274 of 274I see Joeys city council has downgraded joburg central to match Soweto central.
It to 125 years plus to build joburg and 18 years to return it back to its component parts. The shots of Rocky Street are just what I didnt want to see.
Memories of a good place.....
And our great president asks what crime!! The reason being, that he is never in his own country to see the state that it is in!! probably a good thing to! Just imagen what it would look like if tarboy tried to make a difference in the "lovely new rainbow nation".
This is utterly insane. I had NO idea that Johannesburg was turned into a ghetto... I'm still in disbelief!
I used to live there in the early 80's while my dad was working there.
To see so many places I used to frequent turned into rubble is mind boggling... The 80's weren't THAT long ago!
Now I understand why all the primarily black communities here are the way they are...
we left SA 12 years ago, with heavy sadness in my heart, The memories of growing up in yoeville and going for ice cream with my parents in hillbrow on a sunday night.... i miss my country very much. But sadly that place is no longer there. I can move on finally and be glad that we left when we did.
A comment on 03:02
First of all well done for seeing other African countries. The only problem is you were probably looking up your own ass instead of looking at the surroundings. You say it is how you portrait the picture!!!! So what is pretty about any of these pictures? The fact that there are still same buildings left standing? I did not mean to attack you but if you talk shit you must expect shit!!!!!
I am an American living in the Northern Suburbs of Joburg. I am afraid to go out after dark. I feel like I am living in a prison and have had trouble getting a full night's sleep for fear of being murdered in my bed. I have been to downtown Johannesburg and it is MUCH worse than anything I have ever seen in the US, even Camden and East St Louis are not nearly this bad. I can't wait to get the hell out of this cesspool and go back to the USA. At least there you won't get murdered for your iPod.
You will find that most of these squatters and inner city slum dwellers are foreign illegals arriving in the country to find a relatively rich country compared to the likes of Zimbabwe. Check the figures, 5000 illegals a day cross the border from Zimbabwe alone. This is where they end up. It a regional problem not only South Africa's.You still have the Mocambicans, Malawians, Zambians, Nigerians , Congolese - hell every country in Africa is well represented in JHB now. This is a country buckling under the strain of the influx of economic refugees as well as the total corruption and incompetance of government.
Jo'burg is as sad state of affairs
You can take people who roamed with the wild annimals 100 odd years ago out of the bush but you cannot take the bush out of the people in one or two generations, the result is what you see in this Blog the demise of a great city
I was one of the so called "Chicken run" and left South Africa for OZ in 1986. However after 20 years I still can't get that African feeling out of my blood. Boerewors is still better than prawns on a barbie
regards Aussiebok
All over the world the pix is the same wherever you find these ignorant creatures. Wake up people !
Dear people
The eigthies is more than 25 years ago. Love your memories and nostalgia and let it go. I am from the Netherlands and have been living in South Africa for 3 years now - out of free will. Many areas where I grew up in in Holland are also no longer there, or have been deteriorated or have been flattened to make way for new developments. I am sure that that's also what will happen in Yeoville, Hillbrow, Berea etc. I happen to live in Orange Grove, near Louis Botha Ave. And no, what has happened in those areas has NOT trickled down. Yes, Louis Botha is an "African" street: lots of taxis, some street vendors, not always too clean. BUT, cctv cameras are being installed, a new KFC opened up, the old Victory Theatre has been revamped and opened recently. Norwood down the road hosts the most popular club in the area (88), we have the best schwarma in the country (The Schwarma Company), the best italian in the city (Giovanni's) and the people working at the Spar know my whole family and we know them. We're even on first name basis with some of parking guards. Those are MY memories - and I will have no illusion whatsoever that in 25 years that will be exactly the same! Cities and suburbs come and go. And talking about coming, I work downtown (in the "CBD"), and it is on its way up! Yes, there are still bad areas, but don't forget that BHPBilliton, AngloAmerican, all the big banks: they stayed, despite all the other "white flight". And what a difference it's making: new developments (coffee shops and restaurants) galore, clean streets, an actual nice vibe! The government is really making an effort - but they do have to do it one step at a time. As said, I am sure the beforementioned areas will also have their makeover in due time. I work a lot with government and you have to realise the kind of challenges they are trying to manage (I'll get back to this later). For instance, even if people are squatting, you can't just throw them out. People have the right to a roof over their heads and it is very problematic in today's environment in SA to just throw people on the streets without providing alternative accommodation (the same goes for people squatting on private land). Government and a lot of NGOs and companies (such as the Johannesburg Housing Company) are trying to solve these issues and the horrible scenes you photographed.
Because let me ask you: do you honestly think these people LIKE to live in dilapitated houses, without any running water or proper toilets? Do you think they LIKE being robbed and raped and being scared all the time? There are a lot of courageous black people out there that are trying to make a difference (of course not all of them, not the robbers and the killers - these are just opportunistic pigs): the grannies taking care of the Aids orphans, the activists campaigning for better houses and livelihoods.
And also, to comment on all the racial slur: I work with a lot of black people, and yes, some are good, some are bad (as with all people). I think we do also have to keep in mind that a lot of people never had any access to good education and were treated like secondhand citizens (if they were treated as citizens at all!). A lot of them do want to make changes but they don't know how. On top of that, they came to Joburg, hoping to find a better life than what they had in the townships or the homelands. Instead, what they find is joblessness (because they have no skills), crime and communities that you can't call communities because no one is connected to each other. People don't care and things start sliding. That's where we shoudl start to make a difference: I live in a "multiracial" street. Yes, the music goes on at 3 am sometimes. And then we talk to each other like neighbours, we ask them kindly not to do this, they understand, we get along. They meet my little boy in the street, say hello and chat. We take an interest, ask them how they're doing, where tehy're working etc. And we all get along and keep our street nice: that is how you build a community. Not by fingerpointing or hiding behind your fence.
And to brag a bit more about this country that I love: Gauteng is aiming for a 9% growth rate. For ALL its citizens. I didn't see the Nats doing that. Instead, they left the newly elected government with a fiscal deficit of over 9% of the GDP. Go Trevor Manual and go Tito Mboweni!!
And yes, I agree, there are many corrupt politicians (I read the Mail&Guardian every week), Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is a nincempoop and I can't wait for her to go, sangomas and muti is a crazy superstition - but hey what's new. My husband's American; you think he likes Bush, Rice, Gonzalez and all those Republican idiots? Do you think there's less corruption in other countries? NO - the only difference is that SA actually has newspapers that have the guts to publish this stuff - newspapers not owned by media-moguls such as Murdoch (who is closely connected to the Republicans - now that's something to be sick about). The US's health care system is non-existent, and the US's deficit is out of control. In the Netherlands we also have crazy right-wingers in charge that are destroying our health care system, we also have areas in Amsterdam that you don't want to go to. And ever heard of "white trash" and "trailerpark trash"? You think that means something good?
So okay people, let's get off our high horses with our lily-white asses. We were priviliged, with our good education and nice childhoods. I don't always like all blacks, just like I don't always like all whites. I very often don't understand their culture and find it backward, but I also can't honestly say I understand all Americans or Dutch people (they too can have backward notions). Let's be realistic: South Africa, outside the white areas, was a disaster area and it needed fixing (all you guys sipping beers at one of those fancy hotels in Hillbrow, I bet you never set one foot in Venda or the Ciskei or the Cape Flats). And the government is fixing it, as good as they can. And I am helping.
The only reason SA had all its first world attributes in the past was because 10% of the population from “civilised society” as you all call it, used these facilities. I don't know how civilised you can call them as they did a fair share of murdering themselves.
All our other less fortunate friends were locked up in their townships where they were forced to live like animals in squalor with no services. These people were then forced to provide us more fortunate with the luxury and services we demanded.
90% of the population has now been set free and we expect them to behave like civilised individuals. “Civilised society” is also hundreds and hundreds of years old, not in Africa though, this is a European thing. How much war and destruction, genocide, poverty, recession, etc have Europeans had to go through to achieve their “Civilised society”. Also, how much effort has this "civilised society" put into educating and transforming the less advantaged. Giving a wad of money to your child doesn’t get him educated and put food on his table, it doesn’t teach him about love and tenderness? Until Civilised people help teach the people less fortunate about this, nothing will change.
Most of us have good friends who are not of the same ethnicity, usually it’s because we can relate and their fathers and fathers before them had some sort opportunity to embrace “civilised society”.
Yes government needs to do more to help this situation but how easy are these circumstances, there are not just our 90% of the less fortunate South Africans that we need to look after and educate we have millions upon millions of others flowing over our borders every day to handle. Most of these people were born into a violent war and have no regard for human life, everything is about survival for them. I’m sure if you watched your mother, father and sister get cut up with a panga you mite not feel too bad about blowing someones head off for an opportunity to feed yourself or take some drugs to get those images out of your head.
My South African friends the issue is far bigger than black and white, civilised or not. Stop blaming everyone for the problems created by the past and present. There is so much negativity in the world already, live your life where ever you feel safest and stop being angry and shifting the blame. There are so many people at fault for the situations arising in the slums in South Africa and Africa, most of them we will never understand, lets just hope for happier safer times were everyone can have a fulfilled life.
With all the negativity out there nothing will ever change, do your best to give something back, maybe if all of us did that things could improve. White SA hopeful
Living in Ireland now,..
Sal net die tyd wil vat om vir jou en jou span dankie te sê vir wat julle doen, en ja, die waarheid maak seer.
Ek glo dat reg sal eendag geskied,... hopefully sooner than later.
Johann
GOD left AFRICA ..........
Years ago !!!
Shame it was such a Beautiful Place to live and Breath !
I`m glad i got to see Johannesburg , Hillbrow and Yeoville in their Glory Days aswel !!!!!!
Looks like south sydney and western sydney. It always happens when whites arent in control.
When I was a kid in the early 80's, South Africa was one of the worlds premier economies. These pictures are truly heartbreaking. I hope the ANC is happy with what they have made SA into.
The next Zimbabwe!
Jislaaik,what can you say, hand the country over to the floppies and this is what you get. Once a great place to hang out, let them live in the filth that they have made.wfzpg
While reading the comments, I got very sad. Unbelievable how many people in this blog don't understand what life is all about. But if you rather live with hate, go on. Just do me one favour, don't come to Europe. We Europeans don't need you here.
By the way I worked in SA for a while and had a wonderful time. I spent a lot of time in Johannesburg. And yes the place has awful parts, but also lovely areas. But unfortunately poor people and immigrants can't afford that lifestyle. Most people don't like to live and raise their kids in Hillbrow (I'm not saying all of them). We should feel for these people and their children as they grow up in a terrible environment. If South Africans work together (businesses, artists, government and citizens), inner city of Johannesburg can be revived and made attractive for businesses. Please do me one favour: If you speak of blacks or whatsoever, be respectful. I was taught to respect anyone.
Your pictures are heartbreaking.
I left in 1965; didn't like the existing government. Never been back. Even though among my forebearers are 1820 settlers and two of my distant relatives stood at Bloodriver. Then Mandela came to power, and we all watched with bated breath and hoped he would pull off "The Rainbow Nation". For a while it seemed as if he was going to do it.
But it didn't happen.
My heart aches for every single person in South Africa, white and black. It didn't have to become another Brazil; the "have nots" living in squalor and crime, and the "haves" living in armed fortress compounds.
But it did. Cry the beloved country
Your pictures are heartbreaking.
I left in 1965; didn't like the existing government. Never been back. Even though among my forebearers are 1820 settlers and two of my distant relatives stood at Bloodriver. Then Mandela came to power, and we all watched with bated breath and hoped he would pull off "The Rainbow Nation". For a while it seemed as if he was going to do it.
But it didn't happen.
My heart aches for every single person in South Africa, white and black. It didn't have to become another Brazil; the "have nots" living in squalor and crime, and the "haves" living in armed fortress compounds.
But it did. Cry the beloved country
It is not the blacks to blame for the decline of inner city Joburg.
Who you should really be blaming is the white people living in Stanton.
No one told the white people to flee Hillbrow or Central Joburgh for the northern suburbs.
If the white people where not racist and actually did not flee at the first sight of a black person in the inner city, then the core would still be vibrant today.
So look up at the Carlton Hotel, or other half empty buildings, and say "Thank you white people for the mess you left us in by fleeing the city for your gated Stanton homes".
This is to the racist who says we've got spoons up our assess. We were taught to have respect for belongings especially if it's not yours. If you want to go into the racist aspect then you must wake up. Your allowed to stay where ever you want even if it doesn't belong to you because it's been given to you for free. It has nothing to do with slavery. It's just that you don't respect your surroundings or other people.
What do you expect when Blacks take over ? Say, what is the reaction of the Indian population of SA to this travesty ? Are they also leaving SA like the Whites or they stick around ?
Just a few comments...
(I have just written on your subject 'Yeoville')
I had a very nice man friend years ago, we were together for a long time. He was English. Suddenly upped and went off to London to look for work, and when he came back to fetch his things I asked "Why...." as if I didn't know. He said because of 'B' rule. This place will be finished. That incident was enough to make anybody more than racist, more like a xenophobic psychopath!!
He said he wasn't happy to go, but had to.
I had a woman friend out from England, I took her around from Pretoria, to Vereeniging, the Eastern suburbs, showed her the mine dumps, she loved the place. Took her to see the better schools, King Edward where my son was, Pretoria Boys, and others. That was in about 1990. A few years ago after she had gone back to England, she phoned me and said thanks for showing her around. She had been taken around Capetown and Durban too.
She said she really appreciated it and loved the place, but sorry to say that will be her last visit to our beautiful country. I knew why of course, she'd been watching TV. If ordinary people feel like that, why should foreign investors be interested in this slum? Where are we going? Are we also going to have a 1,600% inflation rate because the people can produce nothing except dirt?
Many years ago, about 1994, I was horrified to get a lift with someone who took me into town. Bertrams was also not a very nice suburb, but at least the people did the best with what they had. The walls around the houses were broken down, the roofs were collapsing, there were dozens of 'people' sitting on the walls just staring at anything that moved. I ducked below the car window, expecting a rock to be thrown at me because of my colour. I was really horrified.
These people must realise (if they are capable of thinking at all) that our forefathers brought this civilisation here, and if it weren't for them, the 'people' would be living in grass huts, IF THEY WERE LUCKY. That is, if they were still alive which is unlikely with this disease starting with 'A'.
What has happened to the schools we had to pay for with levies and school fetes, collections and raffle tickets? Given away free by the government to some 'people' who had nothing to do with them in the first place. A lot of the older ones were built by the Brits themselves.
I still wonder what has happened to the library, the museum, the zoo. Are the animals still there or have they been cooked in an iron pot?
I believe the City Hall is now being used for 'ethnic' dancing. We used to go there to hear the symphony concerts and my mother won a prize in the 'Rose and Summer Flower Show' every year.
Now who built City Halls and stuff, not the 'ethnic' people, and we can't go near them any more.
Fortunately I am living outside of Johannesburg so I don't have anything to do with the licencing department or anything there any more.
Avoid town like the plague. I'm sure I'd catch something horrible at least, even if I didn't get murdered.
I was often cornered by glue sniffing 'kids' in Yeoville asking for money. I got out somehow, even fell into a box of cabbages that belonged to a street seller, but wasn't going to apologise, they pack the pavements and a person has to walk in the road in places.
Third world, here we come, if we are not there already. :(
Oh I forgot to mention, how can they have the world cup here?????
This place embarrasses me enough from what people overseas already know. They don't have to see it too.
I'm actually ashamed to be a South African these days, feel like a social leper.
Can't they do it in Capetown rather, before it gets worse there too.
I had a friend up here from Durban a little while ago. She got a lift from the airport and went through one of these areas. She said she was horrified, thought the whole of Jhb looked like that. She was picturing her daughter living among fruit sellers, broken down houses, dirt in the street, collapsed roofs and broken windows.
Great pics - thank you.
As delapitated as the places are now they still bring back some awesome memories of clubbing days!
Its very sad to see JHB in such a state it was always my home and now I wouldn't even go back there if you paid me.
D ;)
Article about SA, world cup/crime etc. in London Times www.thetimes.co.uk Get blogging now.
I am Asian and am shocked and appalled at what looks like post-apocalyptic pictures for and end of the world movie. We asians won't make the same mistakes in our countries. We feel for you and the inability of the western gov. to manage their criminal population. I've been to parts of US with majority or significant black population and it is just the same. My condolences in loss of your civilization.
Please more pictures. Also any chance readers can submit old pictures of how it use to look so overseas critics that never understood this country can see the hell they helped to create. Ending apartheid is going to prove to be single biggest mistake the UN ever made. I am going to move to Orania within the next two years. I will rather live poor with my own people then die rich and young amongst strangers.
Thanks for the link anon, I'm waiting for things like that!
Am already sending to private people in the UK, US and Canada what I think they can handle slowly, haven't sent any murder pictures yet! Also getting involved on blogs. With different names I might add, don't anyone who knows me (my family esp)to look me up in google! :)
Yes, we were blackmailed by threats of disinvestment, voted yes instead of what we wanted to. I see in tonight's IOL news that somebody in Iraq is threatening the UK with killing hostages if they don't get out of Iraq.
Blackmail is not nice is it? :)
I have extended intermarried UK/SA family in South Africa - the Jo'berg contingent have recently moved to Cape Town for fear of their lives - two car-jackings and one armed house robbery with owners held at gunpoint.
When visiting them in relatively "safe" Cape Town, the tiresomely repeated warnings to observe personal security, and the constant wary eye for potential trouble soon wear thin. Once pleasant residential streets are now vistas of barbed wire with slavering attack dogs roaming on the properties. I've been recently told black-operated "citizen protection" outfits are now the biggest racket in town.
I no longer visit Cape Town. My relatives know exactly why and it distresses them because the sorry truth is brought home to them.
For those resident South Africans still in staunch denial, here's warning advice THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT ITSELF dispenses to those who risk visiting your country. Scroll down to "CRIME" to read a terrible OFFICIAL exposé of a once hopeful nation's descent into diseased hopelessness and crime-ridden corruption.
To others, visit South Africa if you must, but in the knowledge that if you can get from the air bridge to the airport taxi stand without having already been robbed or violated in some way, you can count yourself fortunate:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1008.html
All of South Africa is heading this way, Jo'burg has turned from one of the most gorgeous cities to the most damn right fucking dangerous city in a peace time country (politically speaking that is, either way it's a total cesspit).
I really honestly feel for you guys out there, get out while you can.
And yeah, they can't fucking run the place, they are incapable of anything, Africa is one of the worlds richest sources of materials which serve as an excellent base to build an infrastructure, yet look at the state of every country there, it ain't racist, it's fact.
I grew up here, left in the early eighties. I consider myself more left but this shows what a dangerous policy this can be! eek!
These places were so diverse, it was a true rainbow of colorful people. It was not a rich area but it had tremendous character. I wonder about all the refugees all over the world that can never go home. A least you hope that most of South Africans lives are better off, as this all came at a tremendous cost to so many peoples lives.
I now live in the US in a wonderful well taken care of community,(I'm still not rich). I guess places change but a persons basic expectations don't.
I would of liked to see pictures of Johannesburg Girls High where I got a fabulous education and remember fondly.
This is so appropriately called The death of Johannesburg.
Sad Sad Sad.
Lorraine
Hi! I'm from Russia and I've never been to SA, but the content of this blog has truly shocked me because I sincerely considered SA to be one of the most prosperous and civilized countries of the world. These photos led me to a further investigation of the situation in SA which uncovered some apparently destructive and truly horrible nation-wide trends. 50+ murders a DAY (!!!), 140+ rapes a day (!!!!!)... Most of the victims - Whites!!! I've seen these farm murder videos, those tortured children... It's beyond humanity, only SS nazi troops were acting the same way in Russia during WW2. The people doing it - they are not humans, they are mindless animals, worse than Hitler's soldiers! How can you white South Africans live with such terror in your hearts? I understand that it's a dubious opinion but you hold a 15% part of the population, and it's the most intellectual and disciplined part. With proper will, it's implementable to restore things to normal in SA. For how long will you stand this forced extinction? I'm sorry for the emotional speech, it's just my soul aking for miserable white SA's, cristians like me, so much... With deepest respect and sincere condolences, Alexey
This is insane, this is what the whole of South Africa will look like in 15 years time. I can't wait for the world to come to "Africa" for the Soccer World Cup... We South Africans should be getting danger pay just for living in this dump.
I have looked at your blog with interest having spent my formative year living in Joburg. My father was mayor and very successful. He (deceised) would be sad to see such deteration as I am too. Are there any similar type blogs on other parts of SA? Also I would love to see a photo of how Diagonal Street is now. I have a painting in my house of that. H.
I have looked with horror at your sight. I grew up in Johannesburg when the city was thriving. My father was Mayor of Johannesburg. Have you a photo on Diagonal Steet? And are there other blogs showing similar deterioration in other areas i.e. Cape Provincet
Im horrified, the chelsea was my 1st address when I emigrated in Oct 81, moved to Roodekrans for 7 years & 5 years in fourways before leaving to go back to sheffield in Aug 93, now living in County Roscommon Ireland. Looking at the site it really does not surprise me but what a waste, it was a great place to party in the 80`s. Andy Moran
I will ask my folks to give me some old photos of Johannesburg during the '70's and 80's when they worked and lived there. Then the visitors can compare for themselves (then and now).
WOW...a really powerful and very brave eye opening blog with your
http://deathofjohannesburg.blogspot.com/
Exactly what the rest of the world needs to see!
They are all ignorant to the reality of how it 'factually' is. This is no romance novel but reality at it's best.Plenty angry, bitter people and very sadly for many right reasons.
Real realist, keep it up!
I was living in 1975-78 in Jo-burg and CT. First as immigrant in the Hotel Bellevue, than 2 weeks in Chelsea-Hotel (see under "Ruins")and after on Twiststreet, across Hotel Johannesburg. At that time, I never thank, that the whites get of the leadership.
They did it - see the result: The hell for everybody living in Southafrica.
How many times must people keep repeating the same "social experiment" and expect a different result. All you have to do is look at inner cities in America with their black leadership and not a one of them is functional and civilized. Not one! I really blame the liberal whites who always demand that power is turned over to a people who are barely down from the trees. And do the liberal whites stay around to live through the inevitable decay and collapse? Of course, they are the first ones gone!
Dear Sir.
Thank you for taking the time to post these pictures on your site. You certainly provide a very realistic pictorial of the rapid demise of a once beautiful and thriving city. This is true of SA as a whole too. I very much agree with the manner in which you manage your site (e.g your belief that racist slurs demean the quality of a good argument and your subsequent disallowal of these).
I do however disagree with one of your comments alluding to a house on lower Rockey Street. There you state that the Associated Press reporter purchased the house back in 1990 against your advice. Then you state that - like all 'liberals' - he has probably voted 'with his feet' (by leaving SA I presume you mean). Sir. I am one of the many South Africans who have left. I have since settled in the Far East. The change in lifestyle and culture has NOT been easy for my young family and I. Yet, I felt compelled to make the radical decision to leave SA. The high possibility of my wife being raped during a house robbery (and possibly doused with boiling water), the collapsing education system, the apathy of the present government in the face of the perpetration of the vilest attrocities against babies, children, women and the elderly... I can go no and on... I just cannot allow that to ever happen to my family. If I was single it would be a different story. Yet, I have to take responsibility as a father and bear the future wellbeing of my family in mind. I cannot wait until the current SA government eventually wakes up and takes responsible action to correct the mess they've created (using both your and my hard earned tax money in the process)! There's not a day that goes by that I don't long back for South Africa (...the MOST beautiful country in the world). Yet, your site - among other things - has only strengthened my confidence in the decision I made on behalf of my family. I've never been 'liberal' in my political views. In fact, I was very much involved in the then Conservative Party for several years. In leaving, the mainly black government and their true 'liberal' cronies have lost a well educated, hard and dilligent worker... an honest citizen who has built up an excellent reputation in the highly competative (and critical) Far East. This has not been easy but I've worked hard. The saddest thing about current SA is that a war is being waged against harmless, innocent white civilians without formal war ever having been declared. I once lived in Faerie Glen, Pretoria where that beautiful 19 year old girl was brutally raped and murdered past Easter Sunday. I am deeply grieved for both the fate she suffered as well as the suffering that has only just begun for her poor family (and that certainly will persist until the day they die). Her parents were not at home at the time. It could've been my daughter. I'm not afraid of fighting in self-defense... just afraid that I may not be there when my family need me to fight on their behalf.
So sir. I have chosen to vote with my feet... and with these feet I will walk my family into a future where they too can daily share with confidence in the most basic of all human rights - the Right to Life - in a place where life is still greatly respected.
Thanks once again for creating this site.
Kind regards
paul
they should execute all those nutsacks who sold out SA.no, not sold out, gave SA to mandela.i remember in the late 60's early 70's in the carlton hotel, they had a small ice rink in the shopping center in winter, and in summer the ice rink was a fountain.joubert park was a lovely place, always something to do or see there.my parents went to see shirley bassey , rorey blackwell (a brilliant south african drummer)and various international stars perform.i wonder what those stars would say if they saw the place now."ohpra fatass winfrey" should close her damn school and make a series about SA then and now.she is one of the richest women in the states.she should better spend her money trying to educate those monkeys in .....aahhhh forget it.i'm just getting worked up over a bunch of savages who can't even live up to monkey standards.i predict that 50 to 75 years from now the world will be black owned and us white people and our descendants will be slaves , thanks to our leftwing political correct gouvernments.but i can assure you, i will go down fighting, and not with words.screw all the blacks, let them starve and spread aids amongst themselves.i'm kind of lucky, i live in belgium now.but things are changing fast here too.parts of brussels, antwerp, ghent, and most of the french speaking belgium (wallonie) is allready gone to the dogs.moslims are taking over but our gouvernment is blind.same thing is happening in the netherlands.amsterdam, rotterdam, the hague all major cities screwed.france , the same thing aspecially northern france, paris, lille moslims taking over.not 1 gouvernment in europe taking steps to stop islam invaders.whites all over the world are becoming an endangered spcies.we must wake up before it's to late.
Do you have any pictures of the old Protea Gardens Hotel in Berea, Johannesburg or the old Braamfontein Protea Hotel? I am sadly curious to see what became of them!
This was the sadest pictures of my life, i use to stay in Hilbrow and became part of the night life of jo,burg in the late 70's Disco era, the fontana, highipoint the local record bar and all the disco,s like lapope and the 7000 club and so meny more it bring back teers in my eyes, thanks for memories that dont get damaged by human hands.
having left Southafrica 10 years ago having lived nearly 30 years in south africa. I was actually crying when i read all the stories I remember Joberg as nice place and what happend to it from 1994 onwards. I have 2 sons who still stay there but my daughter had enough and left 3 years ago, I went back for a holiday 1n 2001 and things where no better rather worse when i left in 1998.
"Has anyone taken these people by the hand, explained to them how to go forward and what to do?"
OMG! Are you smoking your socks??
Take them by the hand??? And get robbed, mugged, killed, or at the very least infected by their dreaded TB?? No THANK YOU!!
Africa is being kept poor by the G8 the IMF and all these organisations, and they are not really seeing the plight of the common man.
Just once -- once! -- I would like to see white liberals hold black Africans responsible for their own behavior. Just once! Instead, there is always the convenient scapegoat: the IMF, apartheid, the CIA, Zionism...it is as if black Africans are little children who can not be held accountable for their own behavior.
Let us not forget that even with sanctions and an international propaganda campaign launched against them, as well as having to fight a war or two, Rhodesia and the old South Africa were able to maintain the cities at much higher levels. I traveled extensively in both countries, as well as SWA, in those days and found the cities much more livable than those in the USA.
...it was grace (undeservedly) that gave you a little white skin, and placed you in the strongest country -
It was genetic inheritance and the struggles of the generations who went before us.
...Conquering nations and you think you have some kind of an entitlement to clean water, sewerage and clean parks.
Well, these days whites are being disabused of the notion that they are entitled to clean water, sewage and clean parks! Not to mention such other products of apartheid as a regular supply of electricity, jobs, and safety against criminal attack.
Put your hand in your pocket and share a bit of what you stole from Africa,
Sure. The whites stole from Africans all the power plants that were there before the Dutch landed; all the paved roads that the blacks had built before the whites came; all the factories that African workers had built before the whites took them over...
I came over to Jo`burg in 1980 with my wife to work on a years contract as nurses at the Florence on the corner of Koetze and Hospital St. We lived at Dudley Heightsin Hospital St It was so nice we stayed for 10yrs. moving on to Milpark Hosp.Sandton and then I finally finished as Night Superintendent at the new Morningside Clinic. on Rivonia Rd.
Johannesburg was nice then - it was clean and a beautiful city. What a shame to see it like this - it makes my heart bleed.
Finally when Mr.De Klerk unbanned the ANC & the PAC we could see the writing was on the wall. We had 2 little boys by then and I could see that there would be no future for them under a black government and so we came back to UK.
I refuse to give to any charity for the `deprived` of Africa . They wanted us out - let them take care of themselves.It looks like a cesspit now.
Cliff Charlesworth
I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. I just spent a good couple of hours reading through some good, some bad and some downright hogwash!
People who want to blame "Aap art hate" for the utter decay and general slide into a real 3rd world country have to OPEN their eyes, and not try to shift the blame.
They say the influx of immigrants in SA is to blame, not the locals?
F#ck that, that kite doesn't fly!
All kinds of Afrcan cities were quoted as being the same etc etc ad nauseum...
All those countries and Cities, did they have "Aap art hate" ? Don't think so, yet they leave their home countries that should be a paradise to live in after "Liberation and Freedom" ?
Fact is: all those countries had thriving economies, and now?
They die of hunger and HIV/Aids.
Those that can, stream to South Africa in their droves to find a "better life" Well, ha f-ing ha.... Is it still "Aap art hate's"
fault??
I am in the lucky position to be able to live in a Security Estate, false sense of security really, I still sleep with my 9 mm under my pillow, if that is Freedom and Liberation, I don't want a part of it thank you, but no thanks.
You Liberals, get your heads out from your rectums, and see it for what it really is!!
At least the Boers were honest addressing the problem with black majority rule in public. There are numerous countries in the world implementing the same rules. But not officially. Brazil is such a place. The Europeans live in often well-organized areas whilst the ex-slaves live in favelas (shantytowns). But Brazilian government doesn't admit it to the rest of the world. Brazil is world leading in plenty of fields. For example deep water drilling. The only province handled by blacks in Brazil is Bahia. It's also the poorest, most corrupted and dangerous part of the country.
Another African example are the tiny islands of Seychelles. Racism isn't too widespread. But generally, whites live in well-maintained houses. The blacks on the contrary live in shacks with piles of trash outside.
I live in Sweden, but have travelled all over the world and lived in both North- and South America. I would like to apologize on behalf of my country to all SA. Former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme was a contributing factor to the one party dictatorships that today exist in ZIM and SA. Gladly, he was put to sleep 22 yrs ago.
I would like to know if there is an organization or association working toward apartheid rule again? If so, kindly name them so a financial contribution can be made. All my sympaphy and thoughts to the brave South Africans who still have the courage standing up against the ANC. Some of us in the civilized world are still on your side.
just because posts use the word BLACK does not mean they are racist. as we are unable to use the correct term KAFFIR (unbeliever), which is lately in SA applicable to people from all race groups who have no respect for themselves, humanity or the cost of building a future!!
It's hard to imagine that the Soccer World cup will be held there in 2 years time!!
I left Joburg in 1985 and was it favor of political and racial equality at that time. I have since lived in the Caribbean and now reside in the USA. The thing that struck me having been back to South Africa a few years ago and having lived in the Caribbean, is that some (not all) Caribbean Countries are just as run down, corrupt and badly managed as South Africa. I raise the question; is this lack of education or are blacks just not able to run a country politically and financially?
Its funny, im not a racist person, but like one person mentioned earlier, each race does have different strengths and weaknesses and different mentalities bread into them going back thousands of years.
And from the real life events throughout history as far as becoming kind and caring and not being violent towards eachother, the black race seems not be be very good at this.
And yes they have different colour skin to us, and that is not important one bit, what is important is the way someone chooses to treat other people and there country they live in.
I have met black people who are intelligent and caring in the uk and ive met black people and asian who are ruthless and nasty. And for the same note ive also met white people like this too.
But the fact remains that the majority of areas populated by black and asian people in the UK do turn into wrecks and slums.
It comes down to pride and self respect. other thousands of years this pride and self respect has been bread into the white population for the most part. This is not the case with the black population, and I assume it my take many many generations for them to learn this mentality even with a clear example before them.
In which case they will nearly always be behind in terms of civilization, they will always be trailing, so sadly they will always be looked down upon by the more civilized races.
Its sad to say this, but the more that we sympathize with the un-civilized and let them inhabit our civilized nations, the less civilized as a whole the world will become.
I can honestly see that in thousands of years time, the colored nations will have taken over Europe and the US, and the white race will have taken over places like SA and made them into beautiful booming economies, and then the table turns in the same way once more.
These are strong words from someone such as me, but in recent years ive really begun to look at the events of human history in terms of civilization and this is how the truth has made me feel.
I want nothing more than the black race to prove me wrong and make me overdose on humble pie and become civilized and generally nice people to live with.
Please prove to me that history can change its course!
THE WHOLE OF SOUTH AFRICA IS TURNING INTO A DUMP! WHAT A SHAME. DURBAN WAS ALSO A GREAT PLACE TO GO TO, ALL THE DECENT HOTELS AND NIGHT CLUBS ETC. I WOULD NEVER GO BACK TO S.A, NOT EVEN TO VISIT MY FAMILY.
Thanks for the pictures - brings back memory. Any pictures of Bree Street Primary school - Fordsburg ?
Dave
I lived and studied in Jhb in the early to middle 80's, i remember the wits university protest marches and the pink liberal usually english speaking poofs,sorry souties but its payback time for calling us afrikaners'stupid Dutchmen' and the like,there was an extreme anti afrikaans sentiment in parts of Jhb and especially at the above mentioned university campus,it was as if the average english speaker thought the afrikaners were a race of mentally deficient white hill billys who had no right to being in power and referred to as the illigit Pretoria regime with there apartheid policy being the ultimate example of there monumental stupidity.Apartheit and the afrikaner regime had to be done away with and those fools were doing there utmost to help there poor oppressed black brothers to achieve these goals,intellectually speaking that is now,the hard soldiering was to gritty and grimy for these soft handed liberals.
My question now,coming from the 'stupid dutchman'is; are you happy with the way things are now, or doesn't it effect you that much because you used yours British passports to move your priveledged pink liberal arses out of harms way before the real shit started hitting the fan!You hypocritical, opinionated self righteous jerks!!!
I have just returned from Jhb,and had a first hand experience of the appalling rot that had set in, in the form of an attempted mugging by 6 black men a mere 20-30 m out from the south entrance to park station.
Ok it was a dumb fuck thing to do, but this was broad daylight 9oclock in the morning and that in relative close proximity to the station.The reason for this foolish move is personal,but to say the very least i wasn't thinking straight at the time and knew i was doing a dumb thing, and was about to turn back when this mob of thugs decended apon me from the opposite direction,by the time i realised what was going on they were around me showing me knives and pulling at my luggage that were fortunately firmly attached to my body with plug in buckles that these savages obviously don't encounter everyday.
That short delay gave me time to shake lose while screaming at the top of my voice which further unnerved them,i managed to get away from them about 4-6m ,but they were now between me and the station buildings relative safety which i realised i had to get back to ASAP,one particular individual the one who led the mugging wanted to resume the attack,all of this while pedestrians where looking on and some even laughing my anxious moments being there entertainment,or is it because i'm white and they could't care less, i rounded the corner and there about 15m away were 3 black men in camo uniforms,i approached them and told them what had happened to me,they said they can't leave that spot[they must have heard my screams, but no reaction!!] i had to plead with them to escort me back to the station,to which they reluctently agreed, looking very nervous and fearfull themselves whilst walking me back to the station entrance,where iwent in and stayed put for almost 5-hours untill my bus arrived, a black woman was attacked inside the building,and also screamed like a pig being put to slaughter[i did not see her assailent/s though,Jhb is the pits, you won't see me there any time soon, and then they want to host the soccer 2010 there,I laugh at you, you ignorant savages!!!!
My son wanted to go back until he saw your photos.Thank god we left.This is what you get you liberal wankers.You caused all this but I bet you do not live there.
Good bye o great Suid Afrika.
Any chance of seeing a photo of the old Mimosa International Hotel in Hillbrow? I stayed there for one night during my travels back in 1992. Wasn't the best place back then but met some of the old whites who couldn't afford to leave. An old lady warned me that the area was extremely dangerous. I was 23 and invincible. Later took a Joburg taxi, 21 people piled in and only then did I notice that the "steering wheel" was a wrench attached to the steering column by a vice grip. I got bemused looks from people walking around those neighborhoods...
I used to study in Joubert Park, lived in a all girl hostel in Berea in 1990. At that time it all began. I got used to walking around with a "pretend" gun (actually a tear-gas gun). Started seeing a lot of puddles of blood, drug dealers (right in front of Chelsea.) People were rioting in the streets, and getting tear-gased out of their buildings. I left in 1992 and am disgusted, but not surprised how it has changed. Yeoville was a delight! Being an artsy person, I just loved going there to look around and it took me into the '60's!! OUCH! Not anymore. By the looks of it, I think I know the answer to all the problems. I live in the US now, where, BTW, there are some "getto" areas too that don't even have paved roads but the places that do look good, look good for one reason:
SOMEONE CARES ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
Every complex is owned by someone who employs a maintenance person who keeps the place going. If someone draws grafitti on something, THE NEXT DAY the grafitti is painted over!!!!
As for human rubbish, well, nature takes care of that..doesn't it.
By disease. Give it some time. Sooner or later.
Until then it is good advice, if you are of sound mind and have kids
GET OUT OF THERE,
don't wait til you have enough money. Let the situation take care of itself or maybe drug-lords or such powers but get out. Maybe the situation would be better if all the buildings were just torn down and little huts put in its place, with hot running water, of course.
God bless Johannesburg and all of South Africa - yes all the people. not only whites or blacks!!
"Africa is being kept poor by the G8 the IMF and all these organisations, and they are not really seeing the plight of the common man."
What!!!!!!!!!!
I tell you what is the problem with Africa. We can't have a society of advanced people that try to make tribal people to live like us. Unfortunately, Africans are tribal people and they are used to live of the land with their own problems. Let them live as tribal, take care of their own problems, they should live as they want.
There is only one problem; they should not be able to get out of Africa, since the rest of the world does not live anymore in tribal land. Actually that is what they do when they go to a civilized country, they turn the place in tribal land, like Detroit, Joeburg and other places.
So, we whites imposed a type of civilization that blacks are not able to keep up with.
We should be separated as people, that is all.
What strikes me the most is that black people keep blaming the whites.Hillbrow now belongs to black people so to speak, what have they done with it? A total mess!
Can they blame white people for not installing a sense of pride? That comes from within. Stop using the boring cliche"its the white peoples fault" Its only an excuse, as it is far easier to play the blame game,than to take responsibility.Morals and values are taught at home, not by white people only.
As it so happens on new years in Johannesburg, all sorts of furniture get thrown out of windows into the streets below; is that again the white peoples fault?
If the mindset of poverty does not change, no fancy house or car is going to change it either. Just look at so many African countries where only black leadership has been in power,slums and delapedation,money laundering...it goes on and on. Then there are those that are those countries trying to help themselves out of it.
All walks of life have experienced some sort of oppression; the terrible holocast,Israel versus palestine, Straight versus Gay, Afrikaans versus english. The list goes on and on. These are terrible injustices against another.I speak from experience.
Please black people,its been 15years,appartheid was a terrible oppression,lets move on!!
Med bar with the pool, irish club new year 1983/4. Anyone remember Sweaty palms mick ?
The ANC government and all its supporters in SA suffers from what is commonly known as LV(LIMITED VOCABULARY)ie Apartheid,previous regime,kill the Boer,RDP(rape,pillage destroy), the Malema Dilemma,ad nauseam.The Unions (VABONDE) run the country and the so-called Govt are their puppets.
Tourists, the theat is also against you especially if you are White. I personally witnessed a situation where a White motorist who had stopped to allow two very elderly citizens to cross at a robot that was in their favour, was told by 2(1 coloured,1 black) members of the SAPS that he was not allowed to stop for pedestrians.They vented their hate tirade and verbal abuse and when his wife wanted to say something the one palooka (Black) shouted at her that she must shut up and she has no right to say anything.He then moved threateningly towards her side of the vehicle threatening to arrest her and her husband.The husband then informed this palooka to stay away from her side of the vehicle and then they (palookas) suddenly started looking for faults on the vehicle: Obviously they could not find anything wrong. At all times the husband and wife were very polite and soft spoken. What then followed was a digrace to the SAPS (I reason a big error was made when the various institutions were amalgamated into one Police Service). When the (palookas) had climbed into their vehicle, the crew member (black palooka)suddenly wound down his window and screamed at the top of his voice at the couple: "Jy is gemerk, ons gaan jou hunt. Ons sal jou wys!" For ease of understanding he screamed the following words at them "You are marked, we are going to hunt you down. We will show you!" This whole episode happened right in front of a Police station in broad daylight. Be forwarned: The Philistines are upon us.Eze 25:15 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,"
The threat is very real.My advice? Accept nothing and trust no-one. Trust in the Lord at all times
I have just returned to the UK following a aeronautical sojourn around our planet - a great experience for sure - at least it was up until the time we arrived in Johannesburg.
Although originally very excited about returning to Jo'burg, having worked there for a number of years during the 70's, my desire waned the moment we entered the city from the airport.
Although much of the world has altered in the last 30+ years, development and advancement are continuing hand-in-hand throughout New Zealand, Australia and Thailand especially, the same cannot be said of South Africa and in particular, Johannesburg – a now ruined municipality and one made-up of what can best described as human hell-holes, by these I refer to Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville, to name but a mere few.
It was sickening for me to discover, (thanks to a somewhat dangerous taxi ride to the afore-mentioned areas) the full impact of negligent ANC Rule over the last number of years, once again confirming that African leadership reduces everything it touches into garbage - what an atrocious decline to a once vibrant, effervescent and delightfully clean environment...not even Bogota nor Caracas gave us the nausea we endured whilst in Jo'burg, quite easily, the backside of the world - a cesspit that I intend to never, ever visit again.
I am one of the "born-frees", a 1994 baby. I do not know anything of what South Africa and especially Johannesburg once was but what I see now upsets and saddens me. People have no pride and to be honest, I do not think I will one day be married and bring up my children here. It is no place for peace. It is only a matter of time.
Some thoughts:
Damn Apartheid all you like, but without racial segregation, South Africa's cities would never have become what you remember. The now-vanished modern, happy, safe, eclectic, sunny neighborhoods you pine over would never have existed because they would have evolved into Third World dung heaps early on in their histories.
Second thought: Browhill, Yeoville, all of these places are permanently gone. They are history, and they will never return. You can't go home again, nor would you want to in your right mind. Not in view of what those places are now and what they will continue to become.
Third thought: Learn what you need to learn. Genocide Watch, an organization monitoring ethnic conflict and the persecution of minority groups, has listed South Africa as being in Stage Six of the eight stages leading to genocide. Stage Eight is actual genocide itself. If you have white friends and relatives in South Africa, you need to be finding ways to talk them out, haul them out, or pay their way out. Now.
A fourth thought: Learn the reality of the form of evil we face, one vastly more sinister than Apartheid ever was; the "Forces of Darkness," also known as Leftism, Socialism, Communism, and Anarchy, have historically used ethnic conflict, human migration, human reproduction, and similar realities to promote their agenda aimed at totalitarianism and the redistribution of wealth and resources and power. They will continue to use these forces in the countries to which most of you have escaped. They will be aided by people they can beguile in churches, charities, etc. You must fight these forces of darkness in the places where you have relocated, or your children will surely suffer the same things you have known: despair, powerlessness, dispossession, and exile.
Finally, someone once wrote that the greatest weapon you can use against anyone is their own sense of morality. South Africa is the burnt offering proof of the logic of that strategy. And it won't end with her sacrifice.
Made arrangements to immigrate into the RSA in the 1970s, and the government was going to assist me with initial settlement by placing me in an apartment in Hillbrow. It looked beautiful from the photographs of the building and neighborhood and schools. I believe the street was called Smits Street or something similar. Some sixth sense told me it was an illusory bubble all those happy, smiling faces were living in, and with mixed feelings we decided not to start new lives there. Looking into my the faces of my children now, I am so relieved we made the correct choice. I cannot help but think of the fate that would probably be awaiting them now. And I categorically reject the notion that such a sentiment is "racist."
When are we going to stop cowering whenever that word gets thrown at us? And why did you brave people start cowering for the crime of defending your own identity and neighborhoods and future?
I too was a supporter of the "Free South Africa" movement in the late 80s.. it wasn't until I worked in the real world for twenty years and watched my city destroyed by blacks.. I honestly feel that the best situation would be no integration..that's unfortunate because I gave at least ten years of my life rallying for black causes.. look at the content of their popular music and their everyday behavior.. that's the people I fought for.. they destroy areas like a natural disaster..
so how come Asia, India, Australia, etc.. don't look like that? They build their own country from within and maintain it.
Same thing happened to Detroit.
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