'Joberg'

‘JOBERG’

One word with a whole lotta meaning.... After recently relocating to Johannesburg, I think I received the biggest shock there is to come in my life....

So everyone talks about how Cape Town seems to be in another time zone, right? Well I think that’s a phrase the ‘jobergers’ use to make themselves feel better about the place they live in. Yes I’m from Cape Town but I have challenged myself not to be bias in regards to this matter.  The bear facts that one must look at is the standard of living, the ease of access to public works, the role that the government has played in that province, and as if it’s nothing new, Joberg falls flat.

Let me explain, the people in Joberg are for lack of a better word, fake, they live in this bubble that they have created and call it home. I see this place as a big giant wheel they keeps turning round and round all possible with the oil that the people of Joberg manufacture, and the key word is manufacture. This is exactly the point; it’s all manufactured without an ounce of real living.

There is no comradery on display, no one really cares about the next, it’s all party party party and work work work, but do they actually understand what friends are? Social life in Joberg is just that social, you don’t need to know the people you party with all the time, the essence is about fun, and while some may see it as a friendly gesture, it’s more like a fake tan that is as clear as daylight. The South African word UBUNTU never existed here...

After settling down, it was time to install a landline, and that was more for the benefit of ADSL, we were told that Telkom would not lay down lines as the cable has been stolen 3 times before. So the whole road of houses that cost more than 3.5 Million each would not have a landline provided by Telkom.

I go shopping and whilst I parked my car with the handbrake up, it decided to roll one step into another car while I was shopping. I'm sure you know that sinking feeling in your body when you walk out the shop, look for your car and you can’t see it anywhere; I was relieved when I found it but found it strange that it was so far down. Before I could even get a chance to find out what happened, I had an 80 year old white man swearing me from here to thy kingdom come, challenging me to a dual, telling me what he thinks of Cape Town people (as my reg is CA) all for the fact that his number plate was loose??? Even worse I had 5 white young guys surround me as is I was the oppressor.

What struck me the most was the fact that somewhere in his rage he mentioned I don’t know the week he has had, that hit a cord. In Joberg you always have a bad week, there is always something not working, there is always some basic service that is lacking. Another example of what been fake does to you in the long run, you always want to defend and fight, you have no respect for other human beings, and albeit that you are old, you still feel the need to fight and lash out. People in Joberg have confirmed that it happens and on a much larger racial scale, hmm so I'm not the only one?

Water and Electricity, need I say more.... We had a leak outside the property and it was not known to us, except I had to query a R2500 bill for water, after about Two months it was fixed, the bill has still never been adjusted and same story with the electricity. Try calling the city of Joberg, it’s like a maze to enter and if you happen to get through to the right place you looking for (bonus), you find a person on the other end that has absolutely no interest in helping you but they always transfer you midsentence. This has to be annoying in any part of the world, and then the cycle goes on, been passed from one person to the next until after you have told your story about a thousand times you ask for a supervisor, oh dear, wrong move. You as a rate paying citizen do not qualify to speak to a supervisor; you get given a reference number and told to call back in two weeks to find out about the progress. Is that not just dandy? I have spoken to a few people and they say yeah it’s common, they have received bills of R45 0000 and R89 000. Hmm so I'm not the only one?

Postal service, what a waste of good time, took three months for a parcel to be sent to Cape Town after been sent back and forth like a yo-yo without anybody knowing where it is, AND THATS WITH A TRACKING NUMBER!!! I still don’t receive post, and when asked how I can ensure I get post, I was told very politely by the post office to get a P.O Box. Bloody great idea!! So I immediately asked can I please pay for one, and I get told ‘SORRY WE DONT HAVE ANY’ I mean come on.... Finally it dawned on me the reason why there are no P.O.Box’s is because everyone has the same problem right?

There are countless other tales, Cell C, going shopping at PnP, going to any mall. The customer in Joberg must be grateful that the stores are open with staff and the staff have the ‘ I don’t care attitude’ It’s amazing I tell you, when you experience it firsthand. Maybe coming from Cape Town has spoiled me?

The crux of this story is that Joberg is a cool fun place to be, but the people of Joberg are living a lie as to what Joberg really is. When the people of a city forget where we all came from to where we all wanted to be, its screams out ILLUSION.. The people of joberg have some kinda pills they take to forget about what is really happening in joberg and they have now created it to be a norm. It’s a norm in Joberg  not to receive your post, it’s the norm in Joberg to be given outrageous municipal bills to pay, it’s the norm in Joberg to have a ready to fight attitude, it’s the norm for part state owned companies to refuse basic services that customers are willing to pay for, it’s the norm in Joberg to ignore all things that should be provided and replace them with work, money and weekends.

It’s sad when one can see how a society can choose to ignore the problems it faces by mere elusion of the truth, its sad when society loses its will power to fight for the basic services that is a constitutional right. It’s sad when someone like Julius Malema must fight for what Joberg’s society should be fighting for, we all complain about Julius and the radical actions and words spoken, but what have you done as a citizen of Joberg  for the fight of the poor?

Jobergers, take back your city, choose the society you want to live in and fight for it, it may soon be a society you run from.....