LETTER: Joburg’s decline is inevitable

Before 1886 Johannesburg didn’t exist. It wasn’t built on a navigable river, sheltered bay, railway junction or ancient crossroad. Potosi in Bolivia produced 60% of the world’s silver in the 1600s and changed the course of history. In the 1900s Johannesburg weaved much the same magic with its gold.

Yet when Potosi’s silver ran out it became a dilapidated shadow of its former glory. Johannesburg is on the same trajectory. Its potholes, like a pox, are the outward symbol of internal decay. The Vaal Dam is more than 90% full, but the taps are mostly dry in suburbs such as Kensington and Melville. Load-shedding is part of the problem but the water infrastructure, like the roads, is no longer fit for purpose.

Even if the council could bill its citizens correctly, they are leaving, taking their wealth with them. Where “overseas” is not an option, it’s George or Cape Town. The council itself is riven with political strife, making any concerted recovery plan impossible to formulate, let alone implement.

Given its history, Johannesburg’s demise is inevitable. While municipal incompetence and corruption have speeded up the process of turning a once vibrant cosmopolitan city into what will become a gigantic slum, it would probably have happened eventually anyway.

James Cunningham, Camps Bay

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