If you live in the city of Johannesburg, it’s become impossible to ignore that the economic hub of South Africa is visibly deteriorating. From potholes that could swallow your car, overgrown pavements, to a service delivery system that barely exists—Joburg is crying out for attention.
The only thing worse than a pothole on your morning commute are leaders who don’t show up.
I took to the streets to see why residents have stopped waiting for the city to act. From affluent suburbs to townships, Johannesburg has become an eyesore. But amid the decay, communities are taking matters into their own hands.
"Our community over the years has been deteriorating. We had dumping, vandalism, drug use in our parks… it just went downhill," says Fathima Rajah, one of the residents leading change in Robertsham.
Efforts to work with the council fell flat. So Fathima and her neighbours formed the Robertsham Residents Association. Their first project was the Caro Road Park.
"We raised funds through soup drives and donations from local businesses, fenced the park, and cleaned it up so kids could play safely again."
Across the city, residents in Killarney faced a different, but no less urgent problem.
"I’ve lived here for just under two years. I noticed pedestrians being mugged along my street—people coming from Hillbrow, Berea… the perps were coming out of overgrown bushes behind fences," explains Ismail Randeree.
Service delivery wasn’t enough. Security companies and JMPD were often absent. So residents decided to act.
"If we wait, nothing will change. We have to get out of our bubbles and do what we can for our community," says Ismail.
What started as cleaning one area quickly grew into reclaiming abandoned spaces, greening the area, and starting community vegetable gardens to feed people in need.
While residents take real action on the ground, Mayor Dada Morero announced a ‘Bomb Squad’ in June to tackle service delivery. But when the Parliament oversight committee grilled the city over billions lost, he was nowhere to be seen.
Your turn
Do you know of any initiatives reclaiming your neighbourhood? Share them with us — because if no one else shows up, the community has to.
