It is said that the sight of cranes topping a city’s skies shows that there is growth and economic development within the society.
Newtown’s new ‘under construction’ look portrays a great stride for Joburg’s idea of achieving the World Class African City appearance.
It is encouraging to see that the City of Johannesburg has taken initiative to revive both heritage and culture in this part of town.
Could they not erect social hubs like Mary Fitzgerald Square in a township other than Soweto?
The artistic hub is not new to change, as it adopted its name in 1904 following the clearance of Brickfields and other multi-racial ‘slums’ in Johannesburg’s first forced removal.
And as the name suggested then, it is now going through its second major birth with the upgrading of the Market Theatre district and Turbine Hall.
Life around the infamous Mary Fitzgerald Square, Carr Street and other parts of the hub has become more vibrant, conscious and expressive. It’s a new town with honorary street names, where names such as Gerard Sekoto, Mahlathini, Henry Nxumalo and Miriam Makeba just slip off the tongues of both taxi drivers and regular city hoppers.
However, could this kind of development not be done in other pockets of the city such as the mother of all townships, Alexandra? Could they not erect social hubs like Mary Fitzgerald Square in a township other than Soweto?
Reality is that funds will obviously be the reason for not exploring such ideas. But sharing Joburg’s development and planting large cranes in unusual pockets of the metropolis could be more appreciated in other parts of the city too.
Let’s build other ‘new towns’ across Joburg, fill the city with artistic architecture that reflects every social hub differently. Make every bridge as expressive as the ones in Newtown, where the graffiti has become part of its beauty.
Hail to Newtown for being inspiringly unique in the forefront of Joburg’s facelift.
