by Joshua Hart 15 years ago
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Because Johannesburg had one of the largest mining centers, much of the city structure and the spatial organization formed around mining companies. The city was established by European settlers, who in 1886 set laws that the naives could not live in their cities. The South African government set up businesses adjacent to naives’ villages to encourage them to work at their companies. Naives could come and work for the day in the white companies and then return to their villages by night. These villages were called homelands and were rural areas where blacks and their ancestors used to migrate. The form of Johannesburg essentially became horse-shoe shapes of the different homelands the all faced in towards the center of the white controlled city. The homelands could never structurally or economically stand on their own—they were always controlled by the settlers.
But in 1993 the government ruled black over white and the segregation was abolished. But unfortunately, despite the freedom for the blacks to live in the cities now, many of them still stayed in the rural areas and the rich whites stayed in the center, resembling the inverse concentric zone pattern.
Blacks that already work in the city could move into the city to live. This could save them costs of transportation if they were to live in walking distance of their employer. Housing is still a need in the city, especially if more workers are moving in, so maybe old inner city hostiles could be transformed into high- rise apartment buildings. Or on the other hand, if whites can afford transportation maybe they move out of the city and purchase some land on the rural grounds of the old homelands. Middle and upper class may even like more land and privacy and not mind commuting to work. If neither group wants to live physically close to one another, maybe the black and white people become more receptive and liberal to each other’s heritages. For an example, blacks could have their own unique business, like a restaurant or store relating to their culture, to attract tourists and whites. This way that ‘wall’ between communities can begin to be broken down.
Officials are working to pass legislation which would allow them to randomly stop vehicles and inspect them. As of now, only environmentalist can conduct inspections on drivers who volunteer. The environmentalists utilize special instruments which read and rate the amount of carbon given off by a particular vehicle. In the mean time, with levels of the poisonous gas, carbon monoxide, rising, we need to increase awareness. The public should be cognizant of the detrimental effects these gases have such as creating a disturbance in the stratosphere and a depleting the ozone layer. Motorists should be encouraged, either by promotional programs or law to take responsibility and reduce their own carbon emissions. What if motorists did so by finding alternative transportation, such as taking the bus, car pooling, or investing in more fuel efficient vehicles? They can also use park and ride facilities, keep tires inflated, avoid sharp acceleration and heavy braking, as well as regular servicing and maintenance of vehicles. These suggestions will improve air quality and provide for a cleaner and healthier environment for the city’s residents.
An air quality management survey has been started in order measure the levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that are given off from vehicles. The objective of this task is to reduce air pollution on the metro in order to provide an overall healthier atmosphere for the public and reduce the harmful effects it has on the environment. The survey also plays a role in the city's climate change programs. A specialist in air quality has stated that although we may not feel the effects of the poor air quality now, we will in the future.
Lindow, Megan“Anti-Immigrant Terror in South Africa” http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1808016,00.html
Phillips, Barnaby “Living in SA’s Crime Capital”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1916969.stm
“1950: Group Areas Act No 41”
http://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv01538/04lv01828/05lv01829/06lv01839.htm
Overseas Security Advisory Council “South Africa Crime Statistics”
https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=71513
Brunn, Williams, Zeigler. Cities of the World: World Regional Urban Development, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Lanham, Maryland 2003, pg.316-320
Johannesburg city website: http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/4579/204
http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/2434/168/
Johannesburg has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. According to a study by Time done in 2008, 54 people are murdered every 24 hours. Also, every year there are 200,000 robberies, 55,000 rapes, and 500,000 cases of attempted murder. One of the main reasons for crime in Johannesburg is the high unemployment rate. With unemployment hovering around 40%, there has been large amounts of violence towards refugees and foreigners who are seen as threats for jobs. Due to the violence throughout South Africa, Johannesburg has been seen as a haven for refugees. Mobs of citizens have been attacking refugee camps and protesting the immigrants.
Another reason for the crime in Johannesburg is the distribution of income in the nation. Most of the wealth in the nation is controlled by a small group of individuals. These individuals have abandoned Johannesburg due to the violence and moved away from the city center. The results are that poverty and crime have increased. The fall of Apartheid has had quite a bit to do with the crime rate in Johannesburg and the urban blight. Prior to Apartheid, non-whites were forced to live in the areas outside of Johannesburg. In 1991, with the repeal of the Group Areas Act, all citizens in South Africa were free to move anywhere in the country. The result was the white flight, as thousands of poor, non-white Africans moved into the city. The poverty and crime rates essentially transferred from the areas surrounding Johannesburg to the main city.
South Africa’s diamond mining has been controlled since the late 1800's. If the government nationalized the mining industry, then more refugees and citizens of South Africa would be able to have jobs. The impact on the economy would be strong and the crime rate would begin to decline.
Instead of essentially fleeing the city, the government could have given either tax incentives for whites to continue to live in the city and spend their money on improving the economy of the area. Coexistence in the city between races could have been fostered through government programs. If the money was spent within the city, then the unemployment rate would be lower and crime would not be as rampant.
Awareness and Education: There are a number of large scale communication campaigns related to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS as well as broader health-related issues including Khomanani, Soul City, Soul Buddyz, and loveLife. Despite the drastic increase in reaching out, knowledge still remains minimal. If accurate and widespread government funded education campaigns were launched, the rate of infection could be reduced.
Widespread availability of condoms: Condoms help prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS. Over 256 million male condoms were distributed by the South African government in 2007. If local authorities in Johannesburg concentrated on widespread dispersal in conjunction with education on proper usage, this could also help reduce the rate of infection.
Widespread availability of circumcision: Several large studies of male circumcision and HIV have produced firm evidence that the procedure reduces by 60% the risk of sexual transmission of HIV from women to men. If this procedure were available at the major clinics in Johannesburg, this could also help reduce the rate of infection.
o South Africa is experiencing the largest HIV and AIDS epidemic in the world with an estimated 5.7 million people being HIV positive in 2008. This is the largest number of any country in the world.
o The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) says, “AIDS is a major threat to the social and economic health of Johannesburg, the powerhouse of South Africa, and is a risk to the entire country.”
o Gauteng, the province of which Johannesburg is the capital, reported 30.3% of its population as being infected in 2007.
o This city says this epidemic is decreasing life expectancy of its inhabitants, increasing numbers of orphans, increasing decaying family and community structures, and increasing demands on its scarce resources.
o The main factors driving the epidemic in Johannesburg are:
o Sexual violence
o Commercial sex work such as child prostitution and human trafficking
o Social norms which accept and encourage many sexual partners
o Resistance to the use of condoms
o Illiteracy
o No available information or awareness in some areas
o Heterosexual and mother-to-child transmission
o Poverty and income inequality throughout the city
o High levels of other Sexually Transmitted Infections
