DOCSLIB.ORG

The Spatial Legacy of Apartheid

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Spatial Legacy of Apartheid CITIES DIVIDED: THE SPATIAL LEGACY OF APARTHEID ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to The Honors Tutorial College Ohio University _______________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation from the Honors Tutorial College with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Art History ______________________________________ by: Bryan Stringer April 26, 2019 This thesis has been approved by: The Honors Tutorial College and the Department of Art History __________________________ Dr. Samuel Dodd Professor, Art History Thesis Advisor __________________________ Dr. Jeanette Klein Director of Studies, Art History __________________________ Cary Frith Interim Dean, Honors Tutorial College CITIES DIVIDED: THE SPATIAL LEGACY OF APARTHEID TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................................................ 1 Modernist Urbanism................................................................................... 7 Modernist Visions of Johannesburg.............................................. 13 Johannesburgs “Modern” Highway System.......................... 24 The Flat Walls of Johannesburg 27 A Tale of Two Squares................................................................................ 32 Cities Divided 44 Transportation Along the Spine of Apartheid...................... 46 Bibliography....................................................................................................... 55 INTRODUCTION Despite the abolition of apartheid in 1994, the architectural and infrastructural legacy of its oppressive policies remain. From highways to shopping centers, the built environment of Johannesburg was constructed under apartheid spatial practices for almost a century. In 1920, the Housing Act was passed in South Africa. Its purpose, like that of so many similar pieces of legislation, was to enforce the discrimination and exclusion of all non-white racial groups. In order to further disenfranchise and control the non-white population the Housing Act ensured that all specified racial groups would be forced to remain in the designated spaces surrounding the various city centers such as Johannesburg and Cape Town. Known as Townships, these locations were often either government enforced slum districts or dormitory like “hostels” used to house the single male laborers who would have held a “bed card.” Some particularly (in)famous examples of such dormitories are those built for the migrant laborers in Langa, which is about ten miles from the Cape Town city center. Rooms in these buildings were only meant for one bed, and some of the necessities that the user brought with them. The dormitories worked to exert bodily and spatial control over single and married men through architectural and political means. The separation of families and community members helped to ensure political weakness of non-white peoples. Following the abolition of Apartheid and the installment of a Democratic government in South Africa there were still men living in the townships, and those who weren’t single were followed by their families. As previously mentioned these structures and the rooms within them were built to house one bed per person per room, meaning that they are !2 completely unequipped to provide adequate living accommodations to families. As early as 1994 the South African government had adopted policies to renovate and redevelop the single-sex hostels. The efforts to redevelop the hostels of Langa were begun in 2013 and met with success. The program was designed around providing true family housing through redeveloping the old hostels. Rooms that were originally either no larger than a prison cell or packed with dozens of bunk beds are being completely redesigned. Instead of having to share one room with other families and push the limits of what is considered a safe living environment, families are now able to rent individual units. These units have two bedrooms and ample living space for a family, and the rent scales down to the equivalent of just a few dollars USD per month based on income. Although the program has been marked by extremely slow progress and related protests, the units that have been built are slowly replacing the old hostels. Projects like the one in Langa are examples of efforts to actively change the purpose of a set of apartheid structures. Those buildings no longer hold ties to the inhumane attempts at control enforced by the apartheid government. They are homes. Now to consider another example. Sandton City is a shopping mall located just north of Johannesburg. It was constructed in the middle of a farming community in 1973 and provided all the sorts of amenities that a typical American or European mega-mall might as well: entertainment, office space, and myriad storefronts as well as restaurants and luxury hotels. There have also been several additions and renovations to Sandton City during and after Apartheid. This is important because as Jennifer Robinson points !3 out, “The power of apartheid, of the setting apart of racial groups, was therefore rooted in the spatial practices referenced in its very name.”1 If apartheid was carried out through various discriminatory spatial practices, then surely the public structures built during its oppressive tenure are still bound to it in some way or another. What is interesting, however, is that Sandton City has not gone through the same changes as the dormitories in Langa Township. Unlike the Langa dormitories, Sandton City and the surrounding municipality of Sandton have undergone very little changes in direct response to the fall of apartheid. Whereas the dormitories were completely gutted, and renovated — thus giving them a completely new function of providing family housing instead of beds for single males — the nature of changes Sandton City underwent were far more superficial. The Langa Dormitories combined rooms and completely renovated the buildings to transform them from prison like cell blocks with nothing more to offer than beds. Sandton City’s developers placed a new facade on its tower so that its older aesthetic wouldn’t remain as a reminder of the fallen apartheid regime. The dormitories in Langa no longer house single male migrant laborers, but instead can now be homes for their families. Sandton City added an Italian piazza, which it then renamed Freedom Square after placing a rather awkward looking statue of Nelson Mandela squarely in the center.2 Like all shopping 1 Jennifer Robinson, The Power of Apartheid: State, Power and Space in South African Cities. (Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 1996), 15. 2 Sarah Nuttall and Joseph-Achille Mbembe, Johannesburg: The Elusive Metropolis, (Durham: Duke University Press, 2008), 300 !4 centers Sandton City relies upon the appeal it holds to the consumers it intends to court. After its various developments, redevelopments, and additions Sandton City’s aesthetic has changed, but not much else. Unlike the dormitories of Langa, Sandton City and the rest of Johannesburg’s built environment have not changed in any considerable ways, because their functions remain the same. Langa’s function was completely rewritten, while Sandton City, and the highway system remain carrying out the same daily functions they had during apartheid. Whereas the Langa townships have undergone extensive and expensive redevelopment efforts, commercial buildings like Sandton City have not. It’s fair to say that the shopping center has attempted an about-face by proudly offering up Nelson Mandela Square and a bolstered transportation circle constructed in partnership with the municipal government. Sandton City has remained inaccessible to very similar portions of the population as was the case under apartheid. Whether or not this is the fault of the private developers or the municipality is a separate topic, but until recently Sandton City has managed to implicitly exclude many of the same people that were disenfranchised under apartheid. Sandton City is also still removed from and therefore inaccessible to the poor, majority black population of Alexandra. Until 2015 there were no plans to allow for greater public access to the mall via municipal transit services, or pedestrian walkways !5 over the M1 highway.3 Largely without the means to purchase automobiles, the inhabitants of Alexandra are left as a pedestrian population, which makes the M1 more of a wall between Sandton City and the outlying slums than a freeway. Additionally, the suburbs surrounding Sandton City have a similar effect acting as obstacles to the movement of pedestrians. Sandton City exemplifies an apartheid era structure that has arguably succeeded at changing its face in tandem with the political system, but has not actively attempted to change the nature of its relationship with the surrounding area and its population. Sandton City still caters to largely the same clientele it had throughout Apartheid. It is still an upscale, regional shopping center that is legally open to all races and ethnicities without actively opening itself physically or economically. While it is the job and indeed the purpose of the national and municipal state to lead the political and social transition from apartheid, it is also the purpose of individual developers and owners to make sure their structures are still viable financial assets. However, by not actively attempting to increase the accessibility of the shopping center to the population of Alexandra, the municipal government of Johannesburg
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Have You Heard from Johannesburg?
    Discussion Have You Heard from GuiDe Johannesburg Have You Heard Campaign support from major funding provided By from JoHannesburg Have You Heard from Johannesburg The World Against Apartheid A new documentary series by two-time Academy Award® nominee Connie Field TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 about the Have you Heard from johannesburg documentary series 3 about the Have you Heard global engagement project 4 using this discussion guide 4 filmmaker’s interview 6 episode synopses Discussion Questions 6 Connecting the dots: the Have you Heard from johannesburg series 8 episode 1: road to resistance 9 episode 2: Hell of a job 10 episode 3: the new generation 11 episode 4: fair play 12 episode 5: from selma to soweto 14 episode 6: the Bottom Line 16 episode 7: free at Last Extras 17 glossary of terms 19 other resources 19 What you Can do: related organizations and Causes today 20 Acknowledgments Have You Heard from Johannesburg discussion guide 3 photos (page 2, and left and far right of this page) courtesy of archive of the anti-apartheid movement, Bodleian Library, university of oxford. Center photo on this page courtesy of Clarity films. Introduction AbouT ThE Have You Heard From JoHannesburg Documentary SEries Have You Heard from Johannesburg, a Clarity films production, is a powerful seven- part documentary series by two-time academy award® nominee Connie field that shines light on the global citizens’ movement that took on south africa’s apartheid regime. it reveals how everyday people in south africa and their allies around the globe helped challenge — and end — one of the greatest injustices the world has ever known.
    [Show full text]
  • Gauteng Provincial Gazette Vol 19 No 110 Dated 24 April 2013
    T E U N A G THE PROVINCE OF G DIE PROVINSIE UNITY DIVERSITY GAUTENG P IN GAUTENG R T O N V E IN M C RN IAL GOVE Provincial Gazette Extraordinary Buitengewone Provinsiale Koerant Vol. 19 PRETORIA, 24 APRIL 2013 No. 110 We oil hawm he power to preftvent kllDc AIDS HEIRINE 0800 012 322 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Prevention is the cure N.B. The Government Printing Works will not be held responsible for the quality of “Hard Copies” or “Electronic Files” submitted for publication purposes 301707—A 110—1 2 No. 110 PROVINCIAL GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY, 24 APRIL 2013 IMPORTANT NOTICE The Government Printing Works will not be held responsible for faxed documents not received due to errors on the fax machine or faxes received which are unclear or incomplete. Please be advised that an “OK” slip, received from a fax machine, will not be accepted as proof that documents were received by the GPW for printing. If documents are faxed to the GPW it will be the sender’s respon- sibility to phone and confirm that the documents were received in good order. Furthermore the Government Printing Works will also not be held responsible for cancellations and amendments which have not been done on original documents received from clients. CONTENTS • INHOUD Page Gazette No. No. No. GENERAL NOTICE 1021 Gauteng Gambling Act, 1995: Application for a gaming machine licence..................................................................... 3 110 BUITENGEWONE PROVINSIALE KOERANT, 24 APRIL 2013 No. 110 3 GENERAL NOTICE NOTICE 1021 OF 2013 Gauteng Gambling and Betting Act 1995 Application for a Gaming Machine Licence Notice is hereby given that: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Shopping Mall Developments on Consumer Behaviour in Township Areas
    The impact of shopping mall developments on consumer behaviour in township areas Lebogang Mokgabudi 11096692 A research report submitted to the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Business Administration 01 August 2011 Copyright © 2012, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. © University of Pretoria ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of shopping mall developments on consumer behaviour in township areas. Local and international research indicated that shopping mall developments in low-income communities result in several benefits for consumers, such as convenient location; a larger variety of goods offered, lower prices than small retailers in the area and better quality of goods, amongst others. Studies also indicated that the choice of the preferred supermarket/shopping mall is not a rational decision based only on pricing, but on a compromise of satisfying economic, social and psychological needs. A two part mixed methodology, which employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, was adopted. This included semi-structured interviews with retail experts and interview-administered questionnaires with the primary retail shopper in the household. The sample population was Alexandra Township in Gauteng, South Africa. Findings revealed that low-income consumers prefer to shop from the closest shopping mall instead of small retailers/Spaza Shops because of the lower prices and a larger variety of goods offered.
    [Show full text]
  • Economics of South African Townships: a Focus on Diepsloot
    A WORLD BANK STUDY Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Economics of South African Townships Public Disclosure Authorized SPECIAL FOCUS ON DIEPSLOOT Public Disclosure Authorized Sandeep Mahajan, Editor Economics of South African Townships A WORLD BANK STUDY Economics of South African Townships Special Focus on Diepsloot Sandeep Mahajan, Editor WORLD BANK GROUP Washington, D.C. © 2014 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 17 16 15 14 This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpreta- tions, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license, you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this work, including for commercial purposes, under the following conditions: Attribution—Please cite the work as follows: Mahajan, Sandeep, ed.
    [Show full text]
  • BUILDING from SCRATCH: New Cities, Privatized Urbanism and the Spatial Restructuring of Johannesburg After Apartheid
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH 471 DOI:10.1111/1468-2427.12180 — BUILDING FROM SCRATCH: New Cities, Privatized Urbanism and the Spatial Restructuring of Johannesburg after Apartheid claire w. herbert and martin j. murray Abstract By the start of the twenty-first century, the once dominant historical downtown core of Johannesburg had lost its privileged status as the center of business and commercial activities, the metropolitan landscape having been restructured into an assemblage of sprawling, rival edge cities. Real estate developers have recently unveiled ambitious plans to build two completely new cities from scratch: Waterfall City and Lanseria Airport City ( formerly called Cradle City) are master-planned, holistically designed ‘satellite cities’ built on vacant land. While incorporating features found in earlier city-building efforts, these two new self-contained, privately-managed cities operate outside the administrative reach of public authority and thus exemplify the global trend toward privatized urbanism. Waterfall City, located on land that has been owned by the same extended family for nearly 100 years, is spearheaded by a single corporate entity. Lanseria Airport City/Cradle City is a planned ‘aerotropolis’ surrounding the existing Lanseria airport at the northwest corner of the Johannesburg metropole. These two new private cities differ from earlier large-scale urban projects because everything from basic infrastructure (including utilities, sewerage, and the installation and maintenance of roadways),
    [Show full text]
  • Significant Changes in Dividend Policy and Insider Trading Activity on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
    S.AfrJ.Bus.Mgmt.1991,22(4) 75 Significant changes in dividend policy and insider trading activity on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Narendra Shana Graduate School of Business, University of Durban-Westville, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, Republic of South Africa Received 29 July 1991; accepted 30 September 1991 The objectiv~ with this article was to dete~ine whether insider trading related to unannounced dividend policy chan~es. provided abnormal returns fo~ ~hares listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). 1ne results indicate wthat insidersd te ted as da group· th seem· to exhibitth . 'remarkable. timing ability' · Significant chan ges m· ms1· 'der tradi ng act1v1ty· · er~ e ~ u~~g e s1x-mon penod pnor to the resumption (omission) announcement. Company insiders tradm_g pnor to dividend chw:iges announcements earned consistently large positive abnormal returns (avoid large negative a~no~al returns) .• It 1s recom~ended that company insiders be required to make public the market positions they t~e m therr ~mpany s sh~es. ThlS can be expected to reduce the abnormal returns derived from insider tradin and will also contnbute towards improving the efficiency of the JSE. g Die doel m«:1 hi~die. ~el was_ om te ~paal of binnelcring-handelstransaksies, wat betrelcking het op onaangelcondig­ de verandermge m div1den~le1d,. ge!e1 het tot abnormale opbrengste vir aandele wat op die Johannesburgse Effekte­ beurs (JE) g_enoteer word. Die bev1ndmgs het d~op gedui dat lede van die binnelcring, as 'n groep, 'n merlcwaardige tydsberek~nmgsvermoi! geopenbaar het: Beteken~v~lle veranderinge in biMekring-handelstransaksies is ontdelc ge­ d_urende die ses m~de tydperk wat ~1e a~kond1gmg van hervatting (weglating) voorafgegaan het.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gordian Knot: Apartheid & the Unmaking of the Liberal World Order, 1960-1970
    THE GORDIAN KNOT: APARTHEID & THE UNMAKING OF THE LIBERAL WORLD ORDER, 1960-1970 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Ryan Irwin, B.A., M.A. History ***** The Ohio State University 2010 Dissertation Committee: Professor Peter Hahn Professor Robert McMahon Professor Kevin Boyle Professor Martha van Wyk © 2010 by Ryan Irwin All rights reserved. ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the apartheid debate from an international perspective. Positioned at the methodological intersection of intellectual and diplomatic history, it examines how, where, and why African nationalists, Afrikaner nationalists, and American liberals contested South Africa’s place in the global community in the 1960s. It uses this fight to explore the contradictions of international politics in the decade after second-wave decolonization. The apartheid debate was never at the center of global affairs in this period, but it rallied international opinions in ways that attached particular meanings to concepts of development, order, justice, and freedom. As such, the debate about South Africa provides a microcosm of the larger postcolonial moment, exposing the deep-seated differences between politicians and policymakers in the First and Third Worlds, as well as the paradoxical nature of change in the late twentieth century. This dissertation tells three interlocking stories. First, it charts the rise and fall of African nationalism. For a brief yet important moment in the early and mid-1960s, African nationalists felt genuinely that they could remake global norms in Africa’s image and abolish the ideology of white supremacy through U.N.
    [Show full text]
  • Directions from M1 South to MICM Mtembu Street, Central Western
    Directions from M1 South to MICM Mtembu Street, Central Western Jabavu, Soweto, 1809. We are behind the Morris Isaacson Secondary School. Copy and paste this link to Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/msUZX1WKjTL2 Alternatively get directions on Google maps www.maps.google.co.za A: M1 South, Randburg, Gauteng, South Africa B: Mtembu Street, Jabavu, Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa Coordinates: S 26.24701 ̊ E 27.87261 ̊ From M1 SOUTH De Villiers Graaf Motorway (Bloemfontein) • Pass Jan Smuts and Empire Exits • Cross elevated section through Newtown • BEAR RIGHT at end of elevated section: M1 SOWETO/BLOEMFONTEIN • Then IMMEDIATELY BEAR LEFT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take EXIT 10C for M1 BLOEMONTEIN • Pass Gold Reef City on your right • Pass M17 exit for Xavier Street & Apartheid Museum • Bear RIGHT following M1 BLOEMFONTEIN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Take EXIT 391 M68 SOWETO/N12 KIMBERLEY/N1 BLOEMFONTEIN • Bear left and pass under Aerodrome Road ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Take EXIT M68 SOWETO/MONDEOR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At T-Junction TURN RIGHT on M68 SOWETO (Old Potchefstroom Road) • Continue straight for 7.5km • Pass Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital on your left • Becomes Chris Hani Road • Pass Orlando Towers (cooling towers) and lake on your right • Pass University of Johannesburg
    [Show full text]
  • Welcome to KPMG Crescent
    Jan Smuts Ave St Andrews M1 Off Ramp Winchester Rd Jan Smuts Off Ramp Welcome to KPMGM27 Crescent M1 North On Ramp De Villiers Graaff Motorway (M1) 85 Empire Road, Parktown St Andrews Rd Albany Rd GPS Coordinates Latitude: -26.18548 | Longitude: 28.045142 85 Empire Road, Johannesburg, South Africa M1 B M1 North On Ramp Directions: From Sandton/Pretoria M1 South Take M1 (South) towards Johannesburg On Ramp Jan Smuts / Take Empire off ramp, at the robot turn left to the KPMG main St Andrews gate. (NB – the Empire entrance is temporarily closed). Continue Off Ramp to Jan Smuts Avenue, turn left and then first left into entrance on Empire Jan Smuts. M1 Off Ramp From South of JohannesburgWellington Rd /M2 Sky Bridge 4th Floor Take M1 (North) towards Sandton/Pretoria Take Exit 14A for Jan Smuts Avenue toward M27 and turn right M27 into Jan Smuts. At Empire Road turn right, at first traffic lights M1 South make a U-turn and travel back on Empire, and left into Jan Smuts On Ramp M17 Jan Smuts Ave Avenue, and first left into entrance. Empire Rd KPMG Entrance KPMG Entrance temporarily closed Off ramp On ramp T: +27 (0)11 647 7111 Private Bag 9, Jan Jan Smuts Ave F: +27 (0)11 647 8000 Parkview, 2122 E m p ire Rd Welcome to KPMG Wanooka Place St Andrews Rd, Parktown NORTH GPS Coordinates Latitude: -26.182416 | Longitude: 28.03816 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa M1 St Andrews Off Ramp Jan Smuts Ave Directions: Winchester Rd From Sandton/Pretoria Take M1 (South) towards Johannesburg Take St Andrews off ramp, at the robot drive straight to the KPMG Jan Smuts main gate.
    [Show full text]
  • CITY of JOHANNESBURG – 24 May 2013 Structure of Presentation
    2012/13 and 2013/14 BEPP/USDG REVIEW Portfolio Committee CITY OF JOHANNESBURG – 24 May 2013 Structure of Presentation 1. Overview of the City’s Development Agenda – City’s Urban Trends – Development Strategy and Approach – Capex process and implementation 2. Part One: 2012/13 Expenditure – Quarter One USDG expenditure 2012/13 – Quarter Two USDG expenditure 2012/13 – Quarter Three USDG expenditure 2012/13 – Quarter Four USDG expenditure 2012/13 – Recovery plan on 2012/13 USDG expenditure Part Two: 2013/14 Expenditure – Impact of the USDG for 2013/14 – Prioritization of 2013/14 projects 2 JOHANNESBURG DEMOGRAPHICS • Total Population – 4.4 million • 36% of Gauteng population • 8% of national population • Johanesburg is growing faster than the Gauteng Region • COJ population increase by 38% between 2001 and 2011. JOHANNESBURG POPULATION PYRAMID Deprivation Index Population Deprivation Index Based on 5 indicators: •Income •Employment •Health •Education •Living Environment 5 Deprivation / Density Profile Based on 5 indicators: •Income •Employment •Health •Education • Living Environment Development Principles PROPOSED BUILDINGS > LIBERTY LIFE,FOCUS AROUND MULTI SANDTON CITY SANDTON FUNCTIONAL CENTRES OF ACTIVITY AT REGIONAL AND LOCAL SCALE BARA TRANSPORT FACILITY, SOWETO NEWTOWN MAKING TRANSPORTATION WORK FOR ALL RIDGE WALK TOWARDS STRETFORD STATION BRT AS BACKBONE ILLOVO BOULEVARD BUILD-UP AROUND PUBLIC TRANSPORT NODESVRIVONIA ROADAND FACING LOWDENSGATE CORRIDORS URBAN RESTRUCTURING INVESTMENT IN ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS
    [Show full text]
  • Alexandra Urban Renewal:- the All-Embracing Township Rejuvenation Programme
    ALEXANDRA URBAN RENEWAL:- THE ALL-EMBRACING TOWNSHIP REJUVENATION PROGRAMME 1. Introduction and Background About the Alexandra Township The township of Alexandra is one of the densely populated black communities of South Africa reach in township culture embracing cultural diversity. This township is located about 12km (about 7.5 miles) north-east of the Johannesburg city centre and 3km (less than 2 miles) from up market suburbs of Kelvin, Wendywood and Sandton, the financial heart of Johannesburg. It borders the industrial areas of Wynberg, and is very close to the Limbro Business Park, where large parts of the city’s high-tech and service sector are based. It is also very near to Bruma Commercial Park and one of the hype shopping centres of Eastgate Shopping Centre. This township amongst the others has been the first stops for rural blacks entering the city in search for jobs, and being neighbours with the semi-industrial suburbs of Kew and Wynberg. Some 170 000 (2001 Census: 166 968) people live in this community, in an area of approximately two square kilometres. Alexandra extends over an area of 800 hectares (or 7.6 square kilometres) and it is divided by the Jukskei River. Two of the main feeder roads into Johannesburg, N3 and M1 pass through Alexandra. However, the opportunity to link Alexandra with commercial and industrial areas for some time has been low. Socially, Alexandra can be subdivided into three parts, with striking differences; Old Alexandra (west of the Jukskei River) being the poorest and most densely populated area, where housing is mainly in informal dwellings and hostels.
    [Show full text]
  • Post Doc Position for UNIVERSITY of JOHANNESBURG, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics
    HEP (ATLAS) Post Doc Position for UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics The Physics Department seeks to appoint a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Experimental High Energy Physics (HEP) at its Auckland Park Kingsway Campus. See http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/find/jobs/www?irn=79464 Applications are welcomed. The University of Johannesburg is a founding member of the SA-ATLAS group and is also part of the SA-CERN Programme. The group currently comprises two staff members and three graduate (Phd, MSc) students. The group is working closely with Ketevi Assamagan (co-convenor of the Higgs working group), focusing on Higgs and SUSY physics with an emphasis on the muon sector. The HEP research infrastructure includes the University of Johannesburg Research Cluster (280 cores, 8GB storage) which is a component of South African National Grid with both OSG and gLite interoperability. This cluster is currently in the process of becoming an ATLAS - Tier 3 site attached to BNL. The successful applicant is expected to conduct their own research within the area mentioned above as well as to mentor the students in the group. An on-site visit to CERN of an aggregate period of at least 6 months per year is included. The duration of the Post Doc funding is two years and can be extended by application for additional years. The Physics Department has 21 teaching members, and the successful Post Doc candidate would be welcome to consider a small teaching load if they wish to. The University is situated in the leafy suburbs of Johannesburg North, in a cosmopolitan area in excellent relationship to all services and facilities of a modern city.
    [Show full text]