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Jo’burg’s history and its most robust period of development revolved around the gold mining industry, dating back to 1886. By that time, it was already South Africa’s third-largest city; and by the end of the century, it had grown to be the largest city situated south of Cairo. By the turn of the 20th century, one-third of the world’s gold came from mines here. The original Boers who settled the area became outnumbered by the population of miners, and saw this as a threat to their interests. In order to limit the influence of the newcomers, they were denied voting rights by the government – which also decided against developing any infrastructure to support mining activity. The population of mine workers continued to grow, and by the mid 1940s, close to half-a-million black immigrants who worked in the gold mines were living in Jo’burg. A growing percentage of the workers unionised, and in 1946, the 70,000 members of the African Mineworkers Union went out on strike in protest over the poor working and living conditions they were forced to endure. The strike was not successful, and in fact many participants were injured and at least a dozen died. In the early 1950s laws were enacted that made official the policies of apartheid, formally separating the races. The African National Congress (ANC) also experienced significant growth during this time, and in 1955 it proclaimed its Freedom Charter, which formed the basis for the country’s current constitution. The elections of 1994 brought peace to the country, and Jo’burg was once again able to focus on its economic development – which included new wealth created by an influx of tourists. Some of the most productive and profitable mines in the world are found here, although unemployment remains high in the city – and with it, so does the incidence of crime. | |
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