The X account details the filth and decay with before and after photos. Here, photos of the same building are shown in 2010 and 2023. (Photo provided)
The city of Johannesburg has become notorious for its decay, with crumbling infrastructure, abandoned and abandoned buildings, piles of trash piled up on every corner, and knee-deep pits.
The city's condition has deteriorated significantly over the past decade, and its decline is currently being documented on X's social media account called “Joji vs. Joji.”
The account was launched at the end of September and has already gained 33,700 followers. Photos of Johannesburg's landmarks, streets and buildings from 10 to 15 years ago are juxtaposed with more recent photos of the same areas, which are clearly in a state of decay.
In one image, the 2009 brick building on Anderson Street stands firmly on a clean sidewalk, with its windows and window frames intact. The next photo shows the current state of the building. Soot-stained, cracked and destroyed windows, graffiti on the walls and abandoned pavements littered with plastic bags.
The account's founder said: email and guardian Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said he started the account “to remind people of Johannesburg what a seemingly normal life is like”.
“For me, I think Johannesburg is a city that has been mistreated by people. South Africans have mistreated Johannesburg because Johannesburg has given so much to South Africans.
“This is the only city in this country where we've seen economic mobility for poor black people. We've seen previously marginalized people enjoy a sense of ownership in capital businesses. And it's the only place in South Africa where you can feel safe.'' That's it. “And people just used Johannesburg as a place of exploitation and didn't care about or appreciate the city,” he said.
Michael Hart, an architect and urban designer who was involved in transforming urban structures into public spaces accessible to all in the post-apartheid era, says the thought process behind urban regeneration and urban transformation is “the most It was architecturally cutting edge and innovative,” he told the M&G. And ten years later, it was lost to the “overwhelming despair of a forgotten community of poor blacks, disillusioned and unwanted urban outcasts.”
He added that people are falling into poverty because the government has failed to provide adequate resources and services.
“The public spaces of our city are the living rooms of the homeless,” he said.
“Places like parks, roads, rivers, highway shoulders, under bridges, storm drains, vacant buildings and shelters are all home to thousands of people.
“City infrastructure is being eroded by vandalism and theft because humans will stop at nothing to obtain food.”
As a lifelong resident of Johannesburg, David Fleminger, president of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, said that while there have been achievements and progress, the city is “going through a difficult period” and its decline is very visible. said.
“There is no proper maintenance and there is no appreciation for heritage and heritage maintenance.
“It really goes beyond heritage because it extends to roads, storm drains, roadside maintenance and there's trash everywhere,” he said.
“All of this speaks to a lack of effective management. And I think that's what's really getting worse. Over the last five to 10 years, there has been a complete lack of management. I mean, it's not because of any political policy.'' Johannesburg City Council has done a very bad job over the last five to 10 years and they are the administrators.
“They're responsible for maintaining the city and making sure it's in good condition, and we haven't seen anything like that, especially in the last few years.” he added.
The city has been marred by governance and leadership issues, with five mayors appointed in the past two years alone, most recently the ANC's Dada, who succeeded Al Jamaa's Kabelo Gwamanda on August 16. Mr. Morello was appointed.
The public reaction to the 'Joji vs. Joji' report has been one of shock and anger, with calls for attention and intervention from the City of Johannesburg. The account holder said the responses certainly show that people still care about the city.
The photo was taken from Google's Street View, and the account owner says it's objective, unaltered and available to the public, adding that his motivation for starting the account was out of compassion, but also heartbreaking. He added that he felt that way.
Other examples of this description include comparisons to Pretoria Street in Hillbrow, which in 2010 had smooth roads and well-maintained shopping streets such as Cash Converter, but the background is still intact. You can see the intact skyscrapers. In 2023, the same road appears to have caved in with a large pothole, causing informal businesses to spill onto the street and other stores to be demolished.
Themes of ruin, desolation and erosion appear in hundreds of posts and extend to areas such as Randburg.
City spokesperson Ntatisi Modingoane said many of these issues were evolving gradually and were being taken over by new leadership, adding that urbanization was putting pressure on city resources.
“Johannesburg's rapid urbanization has put tremendous pressure on infrastructure and service delivery, resulting in a number of deficiencies.
“The city also faces additional challenges, including illegal dumping, vandalism, cable theft, littering, unlicensed structures, and code violations,” it added.
However, Modingoan said city departments and organizations are working on ongoing maintenance and renovation projects in all seven areas of the city to address the issue. He also encouraged citizens to report pothole defects to the Johannesburg Roads Authority, which carries out regular inspections.
To address the garbage problem, Pikitupu sends out personnel and vehicles every day to collect waste and clean streets, clear illegal dumping areas, and remove waste from densely populated areas such as urban centers. We are stepping up trash picking and street cleaning activities. .
Fleminger said Johannesburg used to be a symbol of opportunity and upward mobility, but today it has become a symbol of a neglected city. But there is still hope and potential for the city, he said, and there are civic groups hoping to reverse the decline.
“It's not too late. We can rebuild Johannesburg, but it will take a lot of effort and a change in the attitude of city officials to understand that they can't do this on their own. You will need it.”
The founder of Jozi vs Jozi says people need to reimagine 21st century Johannesburg.
“Those who are talking about taking Johannesburg back to the 1980s, [need to realise] That will never happen. Because that city that we all miss wasn't dealing with the devastating levels of immigration that were coming into the city from all over the country and from Africa. It did not deal with issues of social and economic inequality or unemployment. Cities of the past don't have to deal with these kinds of problems. ”
He said that with all these issues, people need to think about what kind of city they want.
“What we will see in the 21st century is a modern, functional African city where people from all walks of life can feel comfortable and experience mobility.”
