I am in no way here to cover up the truth and pretend that Johannesburg is perfect. It is an indisputable fact that the city has many hurdles that it needs to cross. Buildings such as the one above do exist in the city, but thinking that the existence of such buildings means that the city is on a continuing downspiral would be taking a very negative stance.
Each and every city has its slums. Johannesburg is no exception. In fact, the slum problem is more apparent here than in many other cities in the world. But one must understand that the reinvention of a once rich and thriving city does not happen overnight. Whilst Joburg may still be thriving, it doesn't display the wealth it possesses on the outside. Only through the refurbishment of old buildings and the construction of new buildings will Johannesburg begin to make a name for itself once more. It's almost a given that in time the above building will have a facelift, or possibly be demolished and another building be built in its place.
If through this blog my readers learn one thing, I want it to be this: Johannesburg is far from in perfect shape, but the refurbishments and new constructions are proceeding at a pace that far exceeds the rate at which buildings and the city as a whole are deteriorating.
Note: the above photo was taken in 2007. For all we know it could have already been refurbished/demolished!
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