City of Gold in Crisis: Can Johannesburg Be Saved from Its Slow Collapse?

Once hailed as the heart of South Africa’s economic dream, Johannesburg is fading fast — and the signs are everywhere. Once-vibrant streets now echo with abandonment, crime, and despair. The “City of Gold” is tarnished, and residents are beginning to lose hope that it can be polished back to life.

Take a walk from End Street to Ntemi Piliso Street, and you’ll see a tale of decline unfold in real time. Shuttered roller doors, once the gateways to thriving businesses, now stand closed — permanent reminders of a growing exodus driven by unchecked crime and municipal neglect. Where banks and retailers once operated, street vendors now hustle toasted corn and peanuts for survival.

A symbol of this fall from grace is Diagonal Street, where the Johannesburg Stock Exchange once stood proudly. Today, that prestige is gone, replaced by deteriorating buildings and a growing sense of abandonment. Even outside the traditional Central Business District (CBD), the signs of decay are undeniable.

Neighbourhoods like Berea, Hillbrow, Kensington, Turffontein, Rosettenville, and Orange Grove, once the jewels of Johannesburg’s skyline, now bear the scars of years of poor governance. The smell of human waste in public spaces, open manholes, and stripped paving bricks tell the story more powerfully than any political speech.

Even recreational parks — once green oases — have become makeshift shelters, while hijacked buildings and drug-infested properties like those seen in Turffontein paint a dire picture of the city’s moral and social decline. In some areas, the infamous street drug nyaope has become an all-too-common part of daily life.

For residents, the frustration is growing. Ratepayers ask why their taxes are not being translated into basic services. “We don’t want promises — we want results,” one shop owner in Rosettenville told us.

Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda now faces what may be the defining challenge of his leadership: restoring the city not for international photo-ops during the upcoming G20 Summit, but for the people who call Johannesburg home year-round.

The mayor recently pledged to improve safety and infrastructure, but Johannesburg’s residents are demanding more than lip service. They want streetlights fixed, manholes covered, parks cleaned, and visible action taken against crime and corruption.

Johannesburg doesn’t need a cosmetic touch-up. It needs urgent, sustained, and serious repair.

As the world watches — and as businesses and families consider whether to stay or leave — the critical question remains: Can Johannesburg rise again, or has the City of Gold reached a point of no return?

{Source: MSN}

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