2024 in-depth reporting project
30 Years of Democracy
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In 2024, South Africa marked 30 years as a democratic and free country. For all the strides made in three decades, there are many more devastating pitfalls. Wits Vuvuzela’s team of student journalists spent eight weeks exploring what 30 years of democracy have meant for Johannesburg and its residents.
The 2024 In-depth Reporting Project was produced by the class of 2024 under the mentorship of Dr Collen Chambwera, Thalia Holmes and Mamaponya Motsai.
A portrait of Hillbrow: 30 years of decay and spirit
by Kabir Jugram
Hillbrow has gained a reputation over the years for its diversity, violence and decay. But although its streets lie in disarray, some residents have created sanctuaries from the dysfunction.
I sit quietly in the passenger seat of the Uber. We pass a cement monolith along the steep hill; its walls charred to coal. The midday sun hesitantly peeks beyond the hollow sockets where windows should be, vaguely outlining scattered rubble in the meek light. A bright pink top drifts across my eyeline as I peer into the darkness. Glancing up, I see a line of clothes dangling over the edge of a third-floor windowsill with an array of blankets draped across the bare building – weary eyelids over an emaciated face.
Read the full story here.


Social mobility is not a walkable journey
by Thato Gololo
Education breeds success, but for some Born Frees to grasp their promised freedom, parents have to make the difficult decision of placing them in schools outside the township – with or without the government’s help in getting them there.
It is 6am, on a cold, dark morning in the middle of an average 2008 winter. The sun has not yet risen in the cosy three-bedroom Segoale household, yet it is warmed by the steam of multiple drawn baths. My slow movements in waking up are countered by the family of four’s frantic yet seemingly choreographed dance around the house: securing uniforms, jackets and ties in a flurry of green and red, the colours of our primary school…
Read the full story here.
The plate divide: Food inequality in Joburg
by Ruby Delahunt
The right to food is enshrined in the South African Constitution, yet millions of people are still food insecure. In Jo’burg, hunger does not manifest evenly – it is a consequence of inequality, the ghost that haunts this metropolis.
Johannesburg has always been a city of extremes. It was never intended to be an equal city and today it still tears at the seams trying to accommodate the two extreme ends of the economic spectrum – and all the people who fall in between.
As a city that contains such a wide array of lifestyles, from the moneyed elite to people just scraping by, our culture reflects a swathe of differences, all with their own traditions, values and tastes. Nowhere is this more evident than in our food.
Perhaps this is why Jo’burg was voted the second-best city in the world for food in May 2024. There is a wealth of restaurants in Jo’burg that display the city’s diversity with their creative and delectable cuisine.
Read the full story here.


Lost in translation: Navigating language and identity in a changing South Africa
by Siyanda Mthethwa
As South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, a new challenge surfaces: younger generations losing touch with their home languages. A mix of personal stories and expert opinions show the profound impact on cultural identity for the people affected.
“Akasazi isiZulu [He doesn’t know isiZulu].” That’s often the first thing people say when they ask why I am so quiet. And although there’s a kernel of truth to that, the shame it brings me is overwhelming.
When I go to family gatherings in Welkom, Free State, I feel disconnected from my family. The house is filled with chatter and joyous laughs as my family members connect with one another in Sesotho, a language I have lost the ability to speak fluently. I find myself as a spectator…
Read the full story here.
Meet the storytellers

Kabir Jugram

Thato Gololo

Ruby Delahunt

Siyanda Mthethwa
Reflections on the project
Cry Theatre: Johannesburg’s theatres, from apartheid to democracy
by Ofentse Tladi
Journey through the heartbeat of Johannesburg’s theatre scene, as we trace its transformation from a tool of resistance under apartheid’s harsh censorship to a thriving space for diverse voices and stories in South Africa’s democracy.
The lights dimmed as two figures stood centre stage, gazing over at the crowd. A single spotlight cast long shadows and, for a moment, there was silence. Then, slowly, the haunting notes of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika rose, not from a choir, but from the audience itself. It was a song that once whispered defiance in theatres, now sung freely in places providing a platform for stories of pain and success.
I was a part of that audience, sitting in the intimate space of Soweto Theatre, where the walls felt close and the stage small. We had just finished watching Woza Albert! and the air felt thick with unspoken words.
Read the full story here.


Orange Farm: A manifestation of apartheid’s spatial planning
by Salim Nkosi
Three decades of democracy have not alleviated the struggles of South Africa’s townships – the majority of them remain as dormitories of cheap labor.
How would you describe the significance of 30 years under democratic governance in South Africa? “Honestly, I think the situation just got worse than before,” says Daphne Malakwane, an elderly resident from a township south of Johannesburg.
Read the full story here.
From shadows to success : Johannesburg's townships are defying economic barriers
by Lona Sokanyile
Thirty years since the dawn of democracy, inequality still lingers beneath Johannesburg’s surface, with township residents often marginalised from the city’s wealth. Despite systemic barriers, individuals in these communities are carving their own paths to a better life.
In Johannesburg, the city of gold, the promise of economic prosperity has long been out of reach for many people. Thirty years into democracy, inequality still lingers beneath the surface, with township residents often on the margins of the city’s wealth.
Read the full story here.


Mental healthcare in erratic eGoli
by Tristan Monzeglio
As an overwrought Johannesburg continues to address rampant apartheid hang-ups, the responsibility of ensuring citizens’ equitable access to mental healthcare often falls on under-resourced, overburdened, yet empathetic providers struggling to meet demand.
If you’re looking for mental health support in Johannesburg, where exactly should you turn? Should you ask people you know for help – and would they judge if you did? Should you head to the nearest clinic, unsure if they’d assist with an invisible problem? What if you can’t afford help or medication? What if you’d rather look up alternative options online? How would you know the right service to select when seemingly infinite options appear in a Google search for “psychologist Johannesburg”?
Read the full story here.
Meet the storytellers

Ofentse Tladi

Salim Nkosi

Lona Sokanyile

Tristan Monzeglio
Reflections on the project
Songs of change: The impact of democracy on music copyright law
by Katlego Mtshali
Exploring the evolution of South Africa’s music copyright laws reveals significant shifts in creative rights for artists, particularly during the transition from apartheid to democracy.
The development of music copyright throughout South Africa’s democratic transition in the 1990s demonstrated how musicians battled for recognition and rights in the face of institutionalised persecution.
The Separate Amenities Act of 1953 posed a significant obstacle for renowned saxophonist Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi during South Africa’s apartheid era. Because of legislation that forbade mixed-race concerts, Ngozi had to perform with white musicians behind a curtain…
Read the full story here.


The collapse of Johannesburg’s service delivery
by Rivaldo Jantjies
Nearly 30 years into democracy, the city of gold’s residents face the harsh reality of a broken service delivery system.
Imagine living in a city that was once hailed as the economic titan of Africa but is now subject to the daily indignity of deteriorating infrastructure. Even after 30 years of democratic governance, persistent power cuts, erratic water supplies, roads riddled with potholes, and uncollected garbage have become unfortunate realities for many Johannesburg residents. The aspirational goals of equality, liberty and socioeconomic progress appear increasingly unattainable to some people.
For individuals like Maureen Ncube, this is the hard truth. “We are struggling, we do not have electricity,” Ncube says. “We are stranded in the informal settlements.” In Kanana Extension Four – an informal settlement located northeast of central Johannesburg in Rabie Ridge – Ncube, a mother of eight…
Read the full story here.
Touring the city: Then vs now
by Victoria Hill
The face of tourism has undergone a makeover since the dawn of democracy some 30 years ago, but whether it is a big enough change remains to be seen.
Stepping off a monstrously sized and noisy aeroplane at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, warm air blows into your face. Your eyes squint while trying to adjust to the blinding sunlight. There is an immediate atmosphere of hustle and bustle, and you can hear several different languages being spoken around you.
Touring the city, you make your first stop at the Johannesburg Zoo for a glimpse of the Big Five up close and personal. A stroll around the Botanical Gardens leaves you parched, so you find yourself on Vilakazi Street for some authentic South African food and beverages. Feeling adventurous, you abseil down the Soweto Towers and ride a bicycle through the Johannesburg central business district and its arty Maboneng Precinct.
Read the full story here.


South Africa’s football development slowed down by own goals
by Kamogelo Kungwane
From the highs of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations at the FNB stadium to the lows of a false celebration in Nelspruit in 2012 when Pitso Mosimane’s team thought they had qualified for the finals after misreading the rules, South Africa’s football development has experienced mixed fortunes since 1994.
The year is 1996. The FNB Stadium is filled to the brim with a crowd of screaming fans, all different races and genders, but all adorned in South Africa’s bright green and yellow. Banners fly and the stadium shakes with the sheer force of the home crowd. Bafana Bafana have just become the champions of Africa. Football has done the impossible and brought a troubled nation together.
Read the full story here.
Broken promises behind anti-immigrant sentiments
by Sanele Sithetho
Thirty years after the dawn of democracy, Johannesburg remains a city of profound contradictions.
In 1994, South Africa stood at the threshold of an era that promised equality, freedom and unity under the banner of democracy. The country’s first democratic elections saw the formal dismantling of apartheid – a system of institutionalised racial segregation that had oppressed millions of people for nearly half a century. The world watched in awe as Nelson Mandela cast his vote in South Africa’s first democratic elections, a momentous symbol of the country’s transition from apartheid to democracy.
Johannesburg, a city of gold and dreams, was at the heart of this new South Africa. It was a city meant to reflect the promise of equality, opportunity and freedom for all, including those people who sought refuge in its streets. But 30 years later, Johannesburg tells a more complex story.
Read the full story here.

Meet the storytellers

Katlego Mtshali

Rivaldo Jantjies

Victoria Hill

Kamogelo Kungwane

Sanele Sithetho
Reflections on the project
Click here to see the 2023 In-depth Reporting Project: The City: Joburg