Life in Johanneburg, Africa’s violent capital

By Tichaona Sibanda
17 July 06

Johannesburg's fearful reputation precedes itself, and frequent visitors like Themba Nkosi, our Blawayo correspondent, are bound to brace themselves for the worst. Reading the country’s recent newspapers, Nkosi’s fears are not unfounded.

‘12 die in Jeppestown bloodbath’ screamed the headline of one local paper.

‘Violent crime is rampant these days in Johannesburg and the sad fact is that Zimbabweans are believed to be committing most of the serious crimes,’ Nkosi said. Nkosi has travelled and lived happily in most cities of the Southern African region several notorious for armed crime, but still travels to Johannesburg with a degree of apprehension.

On a continent of violent cities, Johannesburg, is said to be the worst of all. Drive through the wealthy, predominantly white, northern suburbs and you’ll see high walls and electric fences, hiding houses which are in turn protected by alarm systems, metal grilles, and infra-red sensors.

This is the architecture of fear, and it is hard to feel relaxed in such an environment. And just as the wealthy have turned their homes into fortresses, so too have they turned their backs on Johannesburg’s high-rise city centre.

In the past decade, central Johannesburg has changed beyond all recognition. The fear of crime has made the old city centre no longer desirable; the real financial and business heart of Johannesburg is now 20km to the north, in the gleaming new towers of Sandton. Zimbabweans, meanwhile have moved in where the whites have left.

‘Hillbrow is now the meeting place for Zimbabweans and they dominate the place with impunity,’ Nkosi said.