Living in Johannesburg really has its moments, times when the potholes and water bursts fade into insignificance. Watching the Springboks beat the All Blacks at Ellis Park on August 31 was such a moment and it has a lot to teach us about the city’s potential.
The atmosphere at Ellis Park was electric as the fans showed off the best of SA. White people sported makarapas. Black people elevated the fashion status of the Springbok beanie. A brass band lifted our spirits. Everyone sang every line of the national anthem with a joy that made Kamala Harris seem demure.
We felt a deep love for Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi, and our new national hero, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Cheslin Kolbe took up a special place in our hearts. Township heavies exchanged views with the manne from Roodepoort. Families of every shape and hue jostled and joked, and shared the biltong they had snuck into the stadium. It felt as though SA had emerged into the sudden, happy, ordinary reality of being a nation.
And then there was the Ellis Park area itself. It hasn’t looked so good since 2010. In fact it looked better. Everything at the stadium worked, aside from ridiculous queues for beer (you would think we would have figured that out by now). The precinct felt clean and safe. The crowd surged past the beautifully revamped Hallmark House with its fancy hotel and gorgeous rooftop bar. Past the iconic shop window of Millers Furniture & Antiques. We celebrated the win with prawns and pregos at the famous Troyeville Hotel. We admired the new, modern student accommodation and the many well-run affordable apartment buildings. We basked in the iconic presence of the Hillbrow Tower.
But the greatest joy of all was the train. Thousands of us took the train to the stadium. We jumped on the Gautrain in Pretoria, Midrand or Sandton and journeyed to the newly revamped Park Station. Park Station is at the heart of Johannesburg and has long reflected its agonies. But now the Passenger Rail Agency SA has finally got round to recognising its importance and commercial value, and turned it into a functional and inviting hub.
The crowds journeyed seamlessly from the sleek efficiency of the Gautrain onto the old platforms of the passenger rail station. From there we boarded a train, a real Johannesburg train, to the Ellis Park station. It was quick and clean, and carried large numbers of people quickly — as trains do. We were reminded that we have the infrastructure. We have the stations. We have the capability to run proper transport services that are efficient and safe and dignified.
Sitting in the stands of Ellis Park we watched a famous victory. Despite the best efforts of the Barrett brothers and the amazing Mark Tele’a, we came from behind to win the match with two late tries. We came from behind, just like our 4x4 relay team at the Olympic Games. We do that as South Africans. We let ourselves fall behind before we remember our extraordinary abilities and then we surge forward to claim our rightful place.
Our much neglected city can still come from behind to record a famous victory. We have the people; we have the energy. Like the Springboks, Johannesburg has the extraordinary advantage of genuine diversity. We are a creative and resilient bunch. It is hard to keep us down.
Joburg does not deserve the abuse that successive local governments have meted out. It does not deserve to be treated like a cash cow for corrupt officials and political parties. It does not deserve to stumble through filth and decay. It deserves leaders like Siya and Rassie. It deserves to look and feel as good as it did on match day.
Johannesburg can still claim its rightful place as one of the great cities of the developing world. With the right leadership, that day could come sooner than we imagine.
• Bethlehem is an economic development specialist and partner at Genesis Analytics. She has worked in the forestry, renewable energy, housing and property sectors as well as in local and national government.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.