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Johannesburg became a city 80 years ago: in just 42 years it had grown from dusty veld to economic powerhouse. And now it's time to party.
The city hall retains its elegant air, 94 years after it was built
ON 5 September 1928 Johannesburg changed its status from town to city, and some 10 000 people came out on to the streets to celebrate.
On that day The Star, in an article with the headline "Romantic rise from mining camp in 42 years", reported: "Johannesburg to-day entered into full possession of the right to designate itself a city."
On a clear day the crowds gathered outside the town hall, soon to be the city hall, to celebrate.
"It was a few minutes after noon when the Ordinance which will be known as the charter of this new city status was ceremoniously proclaimed, and Johannesburg embarked upon a three days' programme of festivities to celebrate the consummation of its civic growth."
Prime minister Jan Smuts sent his congratulations to the city: "My sincere felicitations on the auspicious event. May the future of your great city be no less glorious than its past."
While traditionally towns in England became cities when they could boast an Anglican cathedral, this was not the case with Joburg - St Mary's Anglican cathedral was consecrated in 1929. The town became a city probably because of its size and importance as South Africa's major industrial, commercial and financial centre in 1928. By virtue of a law passed by the Transvaal provincial council, Joburg became the newest and largest city in South Africa.
Gold was discovered in the veld in Langlaagte in 1886, and people rushed to the site. When the gold fields were proclaimed in September of that year there were some 300 diggers in what was to become Johannesburg. In three months, by the end of 1886, the population had grown to 3 000, records Keith Beavon in Johannesburg, the making and shaping of the City.
Its growth was phenomenal - in 10 years the population had grown to 80 000, living in an area of about 12km². "Certainly in 1896 it was the largest urban place in Africa south of the Sahara, its population of almost 102 000 eclipsing that of Cape Town, established 244 years earlier," explains Beavon.
By 1926, the population had grown to 300 000. And the city has continued to grow - today its population stands at 3,6 million and it stretches across 1 644km².
In 1886, the mines produced 0,16 percent of world gold output. By 1898 this had jumped to 27 percent, and by 1913 to 40 percent, says Beavon.
Three days of celebration
Joburg's citizens came out for three days of celebration - a garden party in Joubert Park for 3 000 guests; a banquet at the Carlton Hotel for 200 guests; a ball in the town hall for 1 400 guests; and a function in front of the municipal offices in Rissik Street, where four bands and a choir entertained the crowds.
In addition, 45 000 bronze medals were minted for schoolchildren, 600 trees were planted, and commemorative shields for schools were produced. Some 1 600 parcels for the poor were put together, while a Men's Dinner was held at the Rand Aid Association, according to the council minutes of 23 August 1928.
A service was held in the town hall on 2 September, and the mayor took a tour of the suburbs, visiting the mayors of surrounding towns, and taking tea at the zoo. A grand total of £4 522 (about R67 000 today) was approved and spent by the City. The Rand Daily Mail and The Star published special supplements on the event.
Today
Now, 80 years later, the city will celebrate its 80th birthday at the Jazz on the Lake concert on Sunday, 7 September. There'll be a birthday cake, and an all-artist happy birthday song. Executive Mayor Amos Masondo will speak, as will Minister of Arts and Culture Pallo Jordan.
Artists performing at Jazz on the Lake include Jimmy Dludlu, Zamajobe, Sam Mtukudzi, and Don Laka. International artists include the band, Indian Ocean, Cuba's Omar Sosa, Mattafix and Koffi Olomide.
"As someone who was born and bred in Johannesburg, albeit on the East Rand, my heart has always belonged to this city," says Zamajobe. "Johannesburg has a proud tradition of being a hub of music, arts and culture - many of our greats have made it here. The city always held a certain mystery, vibe and appeal to me. I've always known that Joburg would nurture my musical ambitions and I wasn't disappointed. Here's wishing the city of Johannesburg a happy 80th, and many, many more!"
Others have also expressed their good wishes.
"Everybody knows me as a proud daughter of the Eastern Cape," Dana smiles, " but I have to give the City of Johannesburg its due. I moved here six years ago for a very specific purpose, to fulfil my musical dream - and Johannesburg enabled me to make that a reality. I will always have a special place in my heart for this city - and I plan to prove that on 7 September at Jazz on the Lake. Happy birthday, Jozi! May you have many more."
Dludlu, who lives in Cape Town, and Zimbabweean Mtukudzi echo these feelings, saying they are happy to be performing at the concert, and wish the city well on this birthday.
Cars and other significant events
It's hard to believe now, but 80 years ago Johannesburg had just 7 000 cars, 5 000 motorcycles and 468 lorries, and had just installed its first traffic light, in the middle of the intersection of Rissik and President streets.
According to The Star's Like it was - 100 years in Johannesburg, 1887-1987, "Johannesburg was mesmerised by the car." In the 1920s the newspaper even had a motoring section - and people liked to get out and about in their cars. "Despite the size and brute strength of the average car - some weighed more than two tons - driving beyond town was still an adventure." That meant driving from Cape Town to Joburg, trying to beat the train over the distance.
For those who didn't own cars, there was public transport, which consisted of trams driven on tracks. In 1923, the lines were extended down south to Turffontein, and north to Zoo Lake.
The city had grown from a piece of dusty veld with scattered white farms before 1886, to a rapidly erected tent town, then a ramshackle tin-shanty town, to the country's major city, with skyscrapers, large green lungs, several lakes, a zoo, and a freneticism that residents find addictive.
But the early 1920s were times of hard living in South Africa - the world was just recovering from a recession and Joburg was hit by the 1922 coal miners' strike. It had several causes, the major ones being wage cuts and the replacement of white miners by lower-paid black miners. Together some 22 000 coal and gold miners went on strike.
Soon Joburg was at war with itself: planes were dropping bombs on Fordsburg; several buildings in Brixton were being shelled; commandos of mineworkers were marching through central Joburg; trains lines were dynamited; and civilians were attacking police stations, disarming police officers and taking them prisoner.
The strike lasted almost three months before it was quelled by the army, but not before martial law was declared.
A commission of inquiry found that 153 died, among them 43 soldiers and 29 police; 534 people were wounded. John Shorten in The Johannesburg Saga records that there were 4 692 arrests during the three months of the battle; 853 people were brought to court; 46 were charged with high treason and murder; and 18 were convicted and sentenced to death; 14 of these were reprieved and four hangings took place.
But by 1927 the city began recovering - there was one sure sign, says The Star: "... by 1927 there were signs that Johannesburg was, once again, beginning to do what it liked doing best: knocking down buildings and building something bigger".
One of the biggest building projects was knocking down the town's first synagogue, built in 1889 and demolished in 1926, and using the site for the new Park Station. "In Noord Street, between Eloff and Hoek, there are several old houses which were among the most ‘swell' residences of old Johannesburg. One has been adapted as a temporary drawing office and in it draughtsmen are working on plans for the new station."
Several young oak trees opposite the new station entrance were soon to be cut down.
It was in this decade that the Taung skull was found by professor Raymond Dart, switching the focus of the search for humankind's origins from Europe to Africa. The small skull is a specimen of the early hominid species Australopithecus africanus, and was the first hominid to be discovered in Africa. It turned out to be the long-searched-for missing link, dating back some 2,5 million years. It was discovered in 1924 near a town called Taung in what is today North West Province. The skull is housed at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Herman Charles Bosman
Herman Charles Bosman lived in the city in the 1920s. Here he had good times: rioting on the steps of the town hall, visiting the pubs, walking the pavements, and riding the trams. He was as familiar with Market Street, Commissioner Street or Rissik Street; Kensington, Lombardy East or Berea as any present Joburger.
He bemoaned the fact that Johannesburgers had not respected their heritage very much and continued to demolish their historic buildings.
"I don't suppose, for one thing, that they've got too many genuine Joh'burg old-timers on the council. Otherwise we wouldn't have every Johannesburg building turned over to a demolition-gang the moment it becomes historical."
In 1926, Bosman was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death. But his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. After serving almost four years he was released and he moved back to Joburg in 1930, where he mostly lived until his death in 1951.
Wits university
In 1922, the foundation stone of the University of the Witwatersrand was laid, on a site that was originally farmland. Construction was delayed because the site was a stone quarry and a rubbish dump, which caused major building problems.
Wits started off with six faculties: arts, science, medicine, engineering, law and commerce. Under these faculties were 37 departments, 73 members of academic staff and just over 1 000 students. By 2007, student numbers stood at 24 278, and by this year 108 800 degrees had been conferred.
Today Wits is ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the world in seven defined fields of research.
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