Naomi Musiker, Reuben Musiker. Historical Dictionary of Greater . Lanham and Oxford: Scarecrow Press, 1999. 380 pp. $98.50, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8108-3520-7.

Reviewed by Elsabe Brink

Published on H-SAfrica (December, 2002)

On Compiling Dictionaries of the black community. This dictionary goes a "Neither is a dictionary a bad book to read--it long way in balancing this hitherto unequal histo‐ is full of suggestion in the raw material of possible ry with its overwhelmingly dominant accent on poems and histories"--Emerson.[1] white achievements in the felds of mining, com‐ merce, fnance, manufacturing, arts and culture. The conventional dictionary defnition on dic‐ In addition, as so aptly put in the editor's fore‐ tionaries reads: "A book dealing, usually in alpha‐ word, this dictionary provides tangible evidence betical order with the words of a language or of of Johannesburg's biggest asset, "namely, opportu‐ some special subject, author, etc, wordbook or nity, the possibility of starting at the bottom and lexicon."[2] Even in an electronic age, it remains a rising.... It [this dictionary] recalls the earlier trusted, readily available source of reliable infor‐ times, the sacrifces and struggles that went into mation. However, as said by Emerson, it is not a shaping a great city. And it shows, in numerous bad book to read; to the contrary, a book such as entries on signifcant persons, places, events and the Musikers' Historical Dictionary of Greater Jo‐ institutions what Johannesburg is and what it can hannesburg, besides being a valuable reference, is do." a fascinating book to read. It is a proud successor of works such as, for example, Anna Smith's Jo‐ However, the presentation of this story of hannesburg Street Names or the more recent His‐ struggle and sacrifce in the form of a dictionary torical Dictionary of by Christopher leaves much to the imagination of the reader. It is Saunders and Nicholas Southey.[4] indeed "raw material of possible poems and histo‐ ries" which requires reading between the lines An up-to-date dictionary of Johannesburg is a and assimilating information to ft together pieces welcome addition to the historiography, especially of a puzzle which will reward the reader with a since much of what was written about the city fascinating insight into the multi-cultural, dynam‐ during its very short history focused mainly on ic city that is Johannesburg, warts and all. No white civic histories, excluding the contributions H-Net Reviews judgement calls are made--it is up to the reader to democratic elections in South Africa are placed use the information presented to form a picture of into a local Johannesburg context, demonstrating South Africa's largest city and by far the youngest the signifcant role played by the city on the road of the great cities of the world. to democracy. The brevity of the summary makes In keeping with the objectives of the Scare‐ for chilling reading, especially since many local crow Historical Dictionaries of Cities of the World readers will be forcefully reminded of tense and series, the authors of the Historical Dictionary of dramatic times they themselves lived through. have focussed their atten‐ "1994. January. Nelson Mandela calls for an tion on the more recent history of the city.[5] end to the boycott of rent and service charges. Events predating 1886, the ofcial date of the es‐ February. Soweto^Òs rent arrears are written of, tablishment of the city, are briefy summarised in leaving local authorities R1.84 billion in arrears. A the chronology, which starts at 1100 AD with the monthly fat rate of R45 for essential services is establishment of Iron Age societies on the Witwa‐ introduced for Soweto. 28 March. Between 20,000 tersrand. After 1886, major events and highlights and 50,000 Zulus march through Johannes‐ in the history of the city are summarised by burg^Òs central business to support calls month. for Zulu sovereignty. Outside the ANC headquar‐ This chronology in itself makes for interesting ters, Shell House, shots are fred. Clashes also take reading. For example 1888 is summarised as fol‐ place in other parts of the city. Fifty-three people lows: are killed and 250 injured." "January. Johannesburg Stock Exchange is "April [1994]. In the run up to democratic opened. March. First meeting of the Hospital elections, members of the extreme right wing det‐ Board under W. St John Carr. April. Braamfontein onate bombs in the centre of the city and at Jan cemetery opened. May. Johannesburg Estate and Smuts airport. Police arrest 32 members of right- Waterworks Company established. August. wing organisations. May. The ANC are declared Charles G Serrurier replaces Shaw as Sanitary In‐ the winner of the elections." spector. First hospital stafed by Holy Family nuns The introduction, which follows the chronolo‐ is started. Wanderers' Club is started." gy, briefy summarises the history of the city for The apparent randomness of such an entry foreign readers who have little or no knowledge makes for interesting reading, because it gives in‐ of Johannesburg and sets the scene for the dictio‐ sight into the way in which, in this case, local gov‐ nary entries, which follow. ernment functions and services were established By virtue of the nature of the book, the histo‐ in the mining camp. The very domestic nature of ry of the city is fragmented into dictionary en‐ this chronology brings the reader to the heart of tries. These cover a wide range of topics ranging the city and demonstrates the explosive nature of from housing, arts, music, culture, literature, ex‐ its growth, that indeed the establishment of its ceptional personalities, places, suburbs, town‐ stock exchange predates the establishment of its ships, landmarks and events. Whereas the work frst cemetery, its waterworks company or even aims to be as comprehensive as possible, the au‐ its hospital. thors add that "the decisions on what to include Likewise the chronology of the 1990s demon‐ and what to omit were taken primarily with a strates how nationally signifcant events im‐ view to an item's usefulness to readers." The au‐ pinged on this domestic nature of the life of the thors stress that the book is aimed at the general city. Momentous events such as negotiations to‐ reader and not the specialist seeking detailed wards a peaceful political transition and the frst knowledge and insight.

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Nevertheless, many of the entries provide Exchange became computerised or "screen- summaries and potted histories not readily avail‐ based," a development which facilitated its move able elsewhere and which would prove a daunt‐ from the heart of Johannesburg to Sandton at the ing task for even the specialist to assemble. The turn of the millennium. short histories of the Johannesburg Stock Ex‐ For most of its existence, a small number of change and the local mining houses, which all large and powerful companies owned most of the played such a signifcant role in the history of the shares traded on the Exchange. By 1996, the min‐ city, are a case in point. It is worth recounting ing house Anglo American Corporation, and the f‐ some of these in more detail. nancial giants Old Mutual, Sanlam, Rembrandt In 1887, soon after the discovery of the Wit‐ and Liberty Life together controlled almost 80 watersrand gold felds, mining magnates, percent of the JSE. Anglo American controlled al‐ prospectors and speculators established the Jo‐ most 40 percent of shares listed, a matter of con‐ hannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). At frst, busi‐ cern for the government. In an efort to beneft ness was done on the corner outside Hermann black empowerment groups, big business began a Eckstein^Òs ofces. In 1888, the frst stock ex‐ process of unbundling of interests. For example change building was opened on the northwest the National Economic Empowerment Consor‐ corner of Commissioner and Simmonds Streets. tium (NEC) led by Cyril Ramaphosa acquired the The building consisted of a high-ceiling, single Johnnies Industrial Corporation (Johnnic). During hall surrounded by ofces, a structure which soon the same period the frm New Africa Investment became the nerve centre of the mining camp. Limited acquired an interest in Johannesburg Mining magnate Barney Barnato became its frst Consolidated Investments, which was also unbun‐ chairman. A second, larger exchange was erected dled. By 1998, historically disadvantaged frms in‐ on the same site and opened in 1893, but still creased their control of shares on the stock ex‐ proved too small and speculators and stockbro‐ change to 10 percent, which was valued at R111 kers frequently conducted business outside in billion. Smaller conglomerates and the fnancial Simmonds Street. In an efort to contain the and insurance sector increased their share of the crowds gathered, police ordered that the street be market as well. By contrast Anglo American^Òs cordoned of. This measure gave rise to the ex‐ control of the share market dropped from 40.5 pression "between the chains" which was used by percent in 1995 to 19.1 percent in 1998. businessmen to refer to stock exchange business Although the names of many mining mag‐ dealings. In addition, since Johannesburg had no nates and mining companies have been relegated city hall until 1910, local residents used the area to the history books, the Musikers demonstrate between the chains to meet whenever a civic cri‐ how these enterprises created more than a centu‐ sis arose. ry ago are still active in the world of commerce, In 1903, after the Anglo-Boer South African albeit in altered forms. Especially relevant is how War, Lord Alfred Milner laid the foundation stone the Musikers cover the entire twentieth century, for a new, larger stock exchange building, erected especially the 1990s and developments in the feld in Hollard Street. With its opening, the fnancial of black empowerment in post- South heart of the city moved to the south-western por‐ Africa. Herein lies one of the major contributions tion of the inner city. The Exchange remained of the book. here for the next seventy years, after which it was The Johannesburg Consolidated Investment replaced by a new building at 17 Diagonal Street. Company (JCI) was formed in 1889 by Barnato as In 1996, daily brokerage operations at the Stock a holding company to administer the properties

3 H-Net Reviews he had acquired in Johannesburg after the discov‐ surance company, Rembrandt and Asteroid were ery of gold. Barnato, assisted by his nephew Solly the chief shareholders in Goldfelds. Joel, invested the profts they had made on the One of the greatest Johannesburg mining Kimberley diamond mines in the Johannesburg houses was Rand Mines Ltd., also known as the waterworks, the South African Breweries, the es‐ Corner House Group. This mining house was es‐ tablishment of Johannesburg suburbs such as tablished in 1893 and initially controlled by Her‐ Yeoville, Berea, Houghton and Doornfontein as man Eckstein. The group was later controlled by well as a large number of gold mines on the Wit‐ Wernher, Beit and Co. and operated from London. watersrand. These included Government Gold As the extent of the potential riches of the main Mining Areas, Langlaagte Estates and Gold Mining gold reef became known, Rand Mines acquired all Company Ltd., New State Areas Ltd. and Rand‐ the shareholdings of Wernher and Beit in the rich‐ fontein Estates Gold Mining Company Witwater‐ est gold mines. By 1938 the Group was reduced to srand Ltd. By 1939, JCI administered seven major two smaller companies, Central Mining and Rand gold mining companies, as well as interests in Mines. By 1971 Rand Mines became part of the platinum and coal mines. In 1995, JCI was restruc‐ Barlow Rand Group, which also had interests in tured into three separately listed companies to en‐ manufacturing, distribution, forestry and proper‐ courage black participation in mining and indus‐ ty. trial fnancial groups: Anglo American Platinum Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, who had been a key Corporation, Johannesburg Consolidated Invest‐ fgure in the Kimberley diamond mining industry, ment Limited, and Johnnic. launched the fnancial giant Anglo American Cor‐ Another example is the Gold Fields of South poration (AAC) in 1917 after he persuaded an Africa Company founded in 1887 by Cecil John American mining engineer WL Honnold that the Rhodes and C. D. Rudd. Rhodes became managing East Rand held great mining potential. With his director and his two brothers board members. help Oppenheimer obtained fnancial assistance During the 1880s and 1890s the company provid‐ from the United States of America to begin ex‐ ed Rhodes with a source of income to fnance his ploiting the mineral rights he had acquired in the imperial schemes in southern Africa, especially in area. By the 1930s Oppenheimer used profts from the land north of the Limpopo, as well as to f‐ his venture to fnance further developments on nance his share in the Jameson Raid. The gold the newly discovered goldfelds in the Orange mines controlled by the company included Sim‐ Free State and the Far West . By mer and Jack Mines Ltd. in , Robinson 1980, AAC produced 37 percent of South Africa's Deep Ltd. and Sub Nigel Ltd. Goldfelds of South gold and began diversifying into the mining of Africa later acquired mining rights on the farms uranium and platinum. The company also ac‐ of Daggafontein no. 9 and Vogelstruisbult, but in quired a considerable stake in Johannesburg Con‐ the 1930s the company owned only three small, solidated Investments (JCI), which in 1995 split depleted mines: Sub Nigel, Simmer and Jack, and into JCI, Anglo American Platinum and Johnnic, Robinson Deep. However, when geophysicist Dr. when the chairmanship of JCI was taken over by Rudolf Kramer discovered a new gold reef, the Mzi Khumalo. By 1997, in response to the drop in West Wits Line and Goldfelds invested in gold the gold price, which made rationalisation of gold mining operations in the Orange Free State, im‐ mining activities a necessity, AAC consolidated all proving the company's fortunes. By the 1990s, the of its gold mines into one operation, called Anglo‐ interests of Goldfelds had diversifed to such an gold. extent that it only controlled two gold mines, Kloof and Driefontein. In 1997 Liberty Life, an in‐

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Considerable attention is also paid by the au‐ forms of literature relating to Johannesburg cov‐ thors to a hitherto much neglected part of the his‐ ers exponents of late-nineteenth-century genres tory of Johannesburg, viz. the history of black such as "mining literature," white English-lan‐ people of the city. The history of existing town‐ guage literature, the writers of the black maga‐ ships such as Alexandra and Soweto as well as re‐ zine Drum, post-1976 protest literature, and litera‐ moved areas such as Sophiatown and Pageview ture produced in . Although Johannes‐ are covered. Personalities are included such as burg resident Nadine Gordimer, recipient of both Enoch Sontonga (1873-1905), writer of the new the Booker Prize and the Nobel Prize for Litera‐ South African national anthem "Nkosi Sikelel ture in 1991, is mentioned in this section, she is i'Afrika" ("God Bless Africa"); Robert Sobukwe unfortunately not covered in an individual entry. (1924-1978), founder of the Pan Africanist Con‐ A search for an entry on Gordimer is therefore gress (PAC), who lived and worked in Johannes‐ rather tedious, since the reader needs to fnd her burg before his arrest and imprisonment on under the associated keyword of literature. Robben Island after 1960; and Herbert Isaac Dhlo‐ Likewise, if information is needed on houses mo (1904-1956), a dramatist and poet after whom of historical interest such as Northwards, the Dhlomo Theatre was named. It was founded Emoyeni, Hohenheim, or Stone House designed by in 1982 by a group of actors in a converted ware‐ Sir Herbert Baker in 1902, the reader does not house as the frst autonomous black theatre in Jo‐ fnd a line entry where the alphabetical entry hannesburg. Scores of other black actors, writers, would have been found, but needs to look under photographers, artists, politicians, trade union ac‐ the entry "Houses of Historical Interest." The tivists and entrepreneurs are also represented in reader is forced to select and search his/her own the dictionary. random key words in an attempt to fnd entries of Equally, remarkable black and white women this kind. A similar situation is found with regard who played a signifcant role in the history of the to entries on schools, churches, theatres and the city are represented in the dictionary. They in‐ like. Individual places or persons are not included clude world-renowned fgures such as the politi‐ as entries with references to where information cian Helen Suzman; political activist Winnie can be found. Although dictionaries are not pro‐ Madikizela Mandela; trade unionists and activists vided with a key word index, an index or alpha‐ Ruth First, Helen Joseph and Lilian Ngoyi; Miriam betically arranged references from one item to Makeba, well-known singer; as well as socialites the other would have greatly enhanced the acces‐ of the early twentieth century such as Florence sibility of the information provided in this dictio‐ Phillips. Less well known are women active in the nary. In a few cases this has been done, such as in trade union movement of the 1930s and 1940s the case of the Brixton and Braamfontein ceme‐ Hester and Johanna Cornelius, who were active in teries. The reader is referred to the item "cemeter‐ the Garment Workers' Union, University of the ies." Witwatersrand academics such as sociologist Despite difculties of access and exploration, Ellen Hellman, and anthropologist Agnes this dictionary represents a rich lode of history to Winifred Hoernle. be mined at leisure. It is indeed a book "full of The Musikers cover a range of topics such as suggestion in the raw material of possible poems education, theater, literature, music, hospitals, and histories" and a welcome addition to the al‐ churches, and houses. These are broad categories, ready extensive bibliography on the history of Jo‐ which include a large number of references to hannesburg. It adds much needed access to the people and places. For example, the survey of history of black people in Johannesburg and their

5 H-Net Reviews contribution to the life of this great city. In perus‐ ing the selected bibliography the reader is re‐ minded that the dictionary at hand is an excellent summary of these histories which cover not only scholarly historical work, but works on architec‐ ture, art, biographies, reminiscences, broadcast‐ ing and flm, commercial development, travel, economic history, education, mining, political his‐ tory, trade union and strikes, local government and many others. Notes [1]. Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. [2]. H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler, eds., The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 5th edition (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964). [3]. Anna Smith, A Dictionary of Street, Sub‐ urb and Other Place-Names, (Juta, Cape Town, 1971); and Christopher Saunders and Nicholas Southey, Historical Dictionary of South Africa, 2nd edition (David Philip: Cape Town, 2001). [4]. Other cities covered in the series are Tokyo, Stockholm, Warsaw, Paris, Honolulu and Hawai'i, (Canton) and Guangdong, and Vienna.

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Citation: Elsabe Brink. Review of Musiker, Naomi; Musiker, Reuben. Historical Dictionary of Greater Johannesburg. H-SAfrica, H-Net Reviews. December, 2002.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=6984

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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