1994 was a historic year in South Africa, with the first democratic election held and the first black president, Nelson Mandela, inaugurated.
And, we’ve included some snapshots of adverts which appeared in the City Times that year to see what things cost at the time.
APRIL
Schools: Parties lay it on the line: Benoni teachers, principals, parents and social workers fear for the future of education. They expressed these fears at a meeting on “Education in the New South Africa” at St Columba’s Primary where representatives of three political parties formed to answer questions.
Cellular phones go on trial: Tomorrow (April 1), a test sample of 20 000 subscribers will use cellular phones for the first time, but the system will become available to everyone from June 1.
Promotions will cost millions: The Daveyton City Council has promoted about 120 of its employees and given them huge increases, and it plans to fill about 50 dozen posts in the bankrupt township as soon as possible.
Six die in Benoni on ‘bloody Monday’: At least six people were killed when they were thrown off trains in Benoni, and others were injured in violence in Daveyton, Actonville and Wattville.
Benonians are stocking up on necessities: Benonians seem to be stocking up for any eventuality that may arise over the election period. Shopowners say vital supplies, like candles, tinned food, long-long milk, mealie meal, paraffin and dehydrated vegetables, have been rapidly disappearing from their shelves over the past two weeks.
St Dunstan’s claims a new swimming record: On March 25 and 26 the St Dunstan’s Diocesan School organised a successful attempt on the most swimmers to participate in a relay event over 24 hours, as given by the Guinness Book of Records.
ANC will ‘forgive but not forget’: Tokyo Sekwale, the ANC’s leader of the PWV region, was accorded a hero’s welcome when he arrived at the Actonville Community Centre. “We have every right to be bitter, but we’re not; we have every right to revenge, but we did not take revenge,” he said. “We are a very forgiving people. They want us to forgive and forget – we will forgive, but we will never forget.”
MAY
Nats win the local skirmish: The ANC may have won the war, but the NP has won the skirmish – at least in Benoni. After the final votes were counted and recounted in the city hall on Monday, unofficial figures showed the National Party as the winner in both the national and the provincial stakes.
Old flags for sale: The Benoni City Council, which plans to spend R1 125 on several of the new Y-flags, doesn’t quite know what to do with the old ones. But Edgar Julyan says the old flags should be sold to the public as they may become collector items one day.
In February 2018 the Nelson Mandela Foundation announced that it had made an application to the Equality Court for an order declaring that gratuitous displays of the old official flag of apartheid South Africa constitutes as hate speech, unfair discrimination and harassment based on race. NMF said in a statement that it is time to acknowledge that the old flag was a symbol of what was a crime against humanity and that its gratuitous public display celebrates that crime and humiliates everyone.
Horror attack in the cemetery: Two Brakpan women and a 12-year-old Benoni girl were held at gunpoint by two men while visiting the graves of relatives in the Benoni Cemetery.
Taljaards, Grolman throw in the towel: Three former mayors, Danie Taljaard, Sam Grolman and Anna Taljaard, have resigned from the Benoni City Council.
Parents frantic as baby is snatched: New PWV Premier Tokyo Sexwale and his wife, Judy, have promised to throw their weight behind police efforts to find a nine-day-old Crystal Park baby girl. Micaela Hunter was abducted from a Johannesburg maternity home on Wednesday, last week. Her frantic parents, Bruce (27) and Alison (26), are in a state of shock.
New Premier endears himself to the PWV: Goodbye to the old South Africa, hello to the new. This was the clear message that emerged on Saturday when Tokyo Sexwale was inaugurated as Premier of the PWV region, of which Benoni forms an integral part.
Tandi’s a love! A Boksburg couple made local history when they became the first white people in the city to legally adopt a black baby, 20-month-old Tandi, from Benoni.
Grampa’s rich! A Benoni grandfather became a millionaire after winning more than R1.3-million on the Million Mania slot machine at the Carousel Entertainment World.
Clicks brings new hope to the CBD: In the first new significant retail development in the Benoni CBD in years, Clicks will be opening its first Benoni retail outlet in the Plaza.
Hotel is open! Benoni’s long-awaited hotel, the Country Lake Inn, is open. The development, the brainchild of Shead brothers John and Don, has been mushrooming quietly on the shores of the Middle Lake for months.
He lost a baby too: The Good Samaritan who has offered R150 000 for the safe return of snatched baby Micaela Hunter also lost a baby when it was stillborn. “I just want to help get the baby back,” said the Johannesburg man, only known as Mahomed. He asked the abductor to phone him and had back Micaela in return for the money.
Benoni boxers are waiting in the wings for title fights: “The wait for a title is on for Benoni fighters Corrie Sanders and Phillip Holiday and it may not be a long wait.” This is the view of Benoni’s boxing supremo, fighter-turned-trainer Harold Volbrecht, who has just returned from a two-week trip to the US.
R81 000 to secure fading memories: The Benoni City Council will spend R81 000 to put up an awning to prevent the sun from fading mayors’ photographs. The item was approved by all councillors without discussion. Management committee chairperson Vic Penning said the awning would be erected on the northern side of the administration building (overlooking the library). The sun, he said, had been causing damage to the mayoral photos, some of which were “irreplaceable” as the mayors were dead. And when asked if the photos could not be moved to, say, the library or passages of the treasury building, Mr Penning said the photos had to be on display “during cocktail parties”.
Dognapper makes off with puppy: A teenage boy apparently stole a Staffordshire bull terrier puppy from the SPCA’s Klein Street kennels after playing with the pup in the kennel. He provided the SPCA with a false name and address after enquiring about whether there were Staffordshire bull terriers up for adoption.
New forum will unite sportsmen: In keeping with the new spirit of reconciliation and nation building in South Africa, efforts are underway to form a non-biased, non-racist and non-sexist forum to cater for sportsmen in Actonville, Benoni, Daveyton and Wattville.
JUNE
Benoni fights to keep DC: The Benoni District Commissioner’s office, based in the SAP headquarters in Harpur Avenue, will close at the end of the month. The DC office has been responsible for visible policing, crime prevention and coordinating work in different police stations in the Benoni area.
Their freedom struggle is over: In what must surely be a first for Benoni, the recent elections saw a father and son both elevated to power – the father to the National Assembly and the son to the PWV provincial legislature. Medical doctor Ismail Cachalia (65) and his lawyer son, Firoz (35), of Lakefield, are no newcomers to politics. Both are long-standing members of the ANC and well acquainted with the struggle for liberation, a tradition started by Ismail’s grandfather who was involved with Gandhi’s passive resistance movement.
Benoni Chest distributes a record R252 000: The Benoni Community Chest gave away a record R252 000 to 38 worthy causes. Organisations that received financial support include the Benoni Child Welfare Society, Boys Town, Famsa, Life Line, Sanel, Santa, Sanca, the SPCA and San Michele.
Hospice has a new matron: Sue Skidmore has been appointed matron of the Benoni-based Hospice East Rand.
Comrades disaster for van der Merwe: Comrades Queen Frith van der Merwe from the Benoni Athletics Club declared herself ready and fit before the start of the gruelling 1994 Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Although struggling with a leg injury, a tense van der Merwe said shortly before the race that all speculation about her being unable to finish the Comrades was untrue and that she was going out there “to give her best”. Unfortunately, it was a day that Frith would rather forget, although she led the race for 28 kilometres, she could not take the pain anymore and had to retire due to a shin injury.
Six immortalised in Lane of Fame: The Benoni Publicity Association again immortalised two mayors and four citizens of Benoni during a function in the Cranbourne Lane of Fame on Saturday. Former mayors Anna Taljaard (1992-1993) and Gerrie Kriek (1993-1994) had their names cemented into the Mayor’s Walk for posterity. The four recipients who were asked to record their handprints in cement are Tanya Logan (Meisie Coetzee in The Big Time and continuity announcer for NNTV), bodybuilder Montgomery Zwane, Manie Alberts (blind bowler) and Hugh Glover Goyns (mountaineer and internationally renowned chartered engineer). The Lane of Fame Awards is made to Benonians who have brought fame and prestige to the city, as well as famous visitors.
Woman killed in her home: Nellie Dreyer was murdered and robbed in her Russel Street home on Sunday. Dreyer, a 40-year-old woman who lived on her own, was last seen alive on Friday, last week. When her maid, Beauty Dlamini, who had the weekend off, returned home at 7.30pm on Sunday, she found the front door open. Her employer was on the bedroom floor with a bullet wound to the chest.
Prisoners to go to state hospitals: Prisoners will no longer be treated in private clinics, such as the Linmed in Benoni and the Delmore Clinic in Germiston. Brig Albert van Wyk of Modderbee Prison said: “We have received excellent treatment from private clinics, but our prisoners will, in future, go to the Benoni-Boksburg Hospital.”
An uneasy calm at Modderbee: There is an uneasy calm at Modderbee Prison after 500 prisoners went on the rampage. The riot left four dead, several injured and caused damage to the prison estimated at millions of rand.
Flamingoes herald new life for the Bullfrog Pan: The arrival of 11 flamingoes at the Bullfrog Pan at the beginning of the month was greeted with great excitement by local conservationists.
Frith claims fourth Sportsman award: Frith van der Merwe, South Africa’s top ultra-marathon athlete, won the Benoni Northerns Sportsperson of the Year award.
Follow us on these platforms:
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp: 079 431 1217
Instagram: benonicitytimes.co.za
For more #hyperlocal news at your fingertips, visit Boksburg Advertiser, Springs Advertiser, Brakpan Herald, African Reporter and Kathorus Mail
