Economist.com Cities Guide: Johannesburg Briefing - June 2006

News this month

Zuma off

Following a three-month trial, Jacob Zuma, South Africa's deputy president until he was sacked last June, was cleared of rape charges on May 8th. Mr Zuma admitted to having unprotected sex with his accuser, a 31-year-old woman who is HIV-positive, at his Johannesburg home, but he maintained that it was consensual. The trial provoked passionate debates about HIV/AIDS, women's rights and Mr Zuma's character—especially as he was once leader of the South African National AIDS Council.

The verdict generated a celebration outside the Johannesburg High Court, where Mr Zuma's supporters had mounted a vigil. Shortly after the trial, he publicly apologised for having unprotected casual sex in spite of knowing his accuser's HIV status. Mr Zuma has now resumed his full duties as deputy leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which he suspended voluntarily following the rape charge. But in July Mr Zuma will be back in the dock, facing corruption charges in Durban. A poll conducted after the verdict revealed that 27% of South Africans thought he should be the country's next president, while only half the respondents accepted his apology.

Flex to the left

South Africa's political left had an active month in May. Despite being allies of the ruling ANC, South Africa's Communist Party (SACP) issued a discussion paper criticising the party for fuelling a “parasitic” black capitalism, and speculating whether the SACP should contest elections independently. The debate over who will succeed Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's president, who is due to stand down in 2009, has created tension—part of the SACP has backed Mr Zuma in the past.

The ANC's trade union allies were also grumpy. On May 18th, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) organised a general strike to protest against joblessness and poverty. Although South Africa's economy grew by almost 5% last year, unemployment is estimated at 27%. In Johannesburg, where Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu’s secretary-general addressed the crowd, the 10,000-person protest march was a peaceful affair. But in Cape Town a few days earlier, striking security guards, locked in a dispute with employers, went on a rampage. The economic cost of the strike was estimated at 2 billion rand ($308m), but analysts suspect the damage to the country's image with foreign investors could be greater.

All together now

In late May the mayors of Gauteng's 15 municipalities gave their support to a proposal from Mbhazima Shilowa, the provincial premier, to turn the province into a city region based on the models of London and Tokyo. The plan will see municipalities co-operating in various areas, while retaining autonomy and control over their own finances. The plan's proponents, including the opposition Democratic Alliance party, say it will have major economic and socioeconomic benefits.

The province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria and is responsible for 33% of South African GDP, hopes to achieve annual growth of 8% by 2014. With over 9.5m people, Gauteng is already quite urbanised, and so it is well suited to a project involving close co-operation in transport, housing, security and economic development.

Going forward

Preparations for the controversial Gautrain rapid-rail project, which would link parts of Johannesburg to its airport and Pretoria, are finally under way. Parts of Johannesburg where Gautrain stations are to be built, such as Sandton, Rosebank and parts of the central business district, have now received official offers for their properties. The route, which is still being finalised, will probably affect over 1,000 properties, 400 of them residential. An estimated 120 will require full expropriation. About 650m rand has been allocated for their purchase.

Court actions are expected further to delay the Gautrain in several areas. In Centurion, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, some residents are against plans for the Gautrain to run above ground, potentially blocking their views. While residents in Dunkeld, an upmarket Johannesburg suburb, have gone to court to stop the train running beneath their neighbourhood. Meanwhile, the city's power to expropriate properties may be hindered by the repeal of local laws by the provincial legislature.

Ensuring that the rest of Johannesburg's creaking public transport is not overlooked, Gauteng's provincial government announced in May the creation of a single, integrated transport authority from next year, and a 25 billion rand increase in public transport spending over the next four years.

Kicking off

While the rest of the world waits for June's football World Cup finals in Germany, Johannesburg is getting ready for the 2010 tournament, which South Africa will host. In May Amos Masondo, Johannesburg's mayor, announced the city's plans for the World Cup, which is expected to bring about half a million visitors to South Africa and create over 20,000 jobs. The city is considering public-private partnerships to upgrade stadiums over the next four years. The facelift of Ellis Park and Soccer City stadiums, already under way, is expected to cost 387m rand and should be completed next year. A budget of 30m rand has been allocated for facilities in Rand, Dobsonville and Orlando, from a budget of 134.5m rand set aside this year alone for tournament-related projects.

Attention is now on Johannesburg's public transport. Besides building the Gautrain, work needs to be done to upgrade the urban network to meet the expectation of FIFA, the international football federation, that travel time from accommodation to sports venues not exceed 30 minutes. The Johannesburg metropolitan police are also expected to recruit and train extra staff.

A capital idea

A perennial debate has reopened: whether or not to rename Pretoria, South Africa's capital city, 60km from Johannesburg. In May Pallo Jordan, the culture minister, declared in an interview that Pretoria—named after Andries Pretorius, a Boer settler—should keep its name for the time being. Last year, the municipal authority applied to the Geographical Names Council, which then recommended that the name of the greater Pretoria area be changed to “Tshwane”, which means “we are the same”. The Council approved the new name, which provoked anger from Afrikaans speakers. The matter was then referred to the culture minister, who has yet to decide officially whether to take the recommendation to parliament for a final vote.

The controversy points to the ever-growing sense of marginalisation felt by many Afrikaners in post-apartheid South Africa. The Democratic Alliance (DA) political opposition, which has been fighting to keep the name unchanged, welcomed Mr Jordan's remarks. The DA argued that the process to change the name has been flawed, and that the current name is well understood by foreigners. However, fans of “Tshwane” say they are determined to continue their campaign.

Catch if you can

June 2006

P O S I + I V E

June 8th-11th 2006

International and South African music, fashion, cuisine and artistic talent come together at this festival, organised to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. There will be plenty of live entertainment, such as a fashion show and a supper club, though the main attraction will be Seal, a pop star whose hits include the song “Crazy”. (He will perform on the 9th and 10th.) There is also the “Wall of Hope” exhibition, which features artwork by international celebrities and notable figures, such as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Other events include a five-course banquet concocted by four Michelin-acclaimed chefs, and a show called P O S I + I V E ART, with around 150 pieces of art for sale by 100 artists, with some proceeds going to the Tapologo AIDS hospice, which cares for people living in the neighbouring mining area of Rustenburg.

All of this will take place at the Sun City resort, a few hours' drive north-west of Johannesburg. Consider coupling a trip here with a visit to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.

Sun City Resort, Northwest Province. From Johannesburg, follow directions to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. See the festival's website.

More from the Johannesburg cultural calendar