Johannesburg: a case study in what happens to a formerly great city when...

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, population 6.4 million.  Back in 1994 Jo-burg was a world-class city.  Then Something happened.  Pushed by Leftists, liberals and communists, South Africa's white ruling party resigned and handed the keys to the communist, all-black "African National Congress," which ruled without interruption for the next 30 years.

For the first ten years after the hand-over the Mainstream Media wrote one fawning story after another about how faaabulous the new communist/black-run country was.  To people who read South Africa's newspapers this seemed...odd...since the entire country was seeing a tidal wave of ghastly torture-murders of white farmers and their families by organized gangs of well-armed blacks.

The gangs always cut the phone line first, so there was no way for rural farm families being invaded to call for help.  Cops were never able to arrest anyone for the murders--much like cops in Los Angeles can't stop smash-and-grab robberies there.  

The torture-murders of entire white families were so horrific that the few remaining white-owned South African newspapers couldn't avoid reporting 'em.  But no western newspapers ever reported even one of 'em... cuz the leftist Mainstream Media here always sniffs that awful murders iz "local interest only, citizen."  "Ouah readerz don' wanna read awful stories like dis, citizen, cuz it would upset 'em fo' no reason.  Cuz it happened 10,000 miles away, eh?"  

No lessons fo' duh U.S. at all.

But for a place 10,000 miles away, for some reason the glowing, fawning stories in western papers about how *totally faabulous* things were in South Africa kept appearing, almost like the Media were pushing a Narrative.  Then in late 2007 South Africa began experiencing constant, widespread "rolling blackouts" due to lack of maintenance by the nationally-owned power company, and their failure to build more powerplants.  U.S. Media ignored those stories, since they happened ten-thousand miles away. 

And then around that same time a curious thing happened:  the endless stream of fawning stories about the wonders of black-communist-run South Africa slowed, then...stopped.

It's just a total coincidence that Barack Hussein Obama was campaigning for the presidency from 2007 thru all of 2008, before being elected in November of that year.

Of course foreign papers--having no reason to kiss Obozo's ass--kept printing stories on what a total shithole South Africa had turned into.  Nothing worked: things as seemingly simple as traffic lights would be fail and remain unfixed for two years.  Rolling blackouts of electrical service in the nation's biggest city happened every day.  Murders of farm families continued.  Yet you never saw a critical word about South Africa in the U.S. press from 2007 to this year.  Curious.

Much like you never read a word about serious problems in Cuba or Venezuela outside of the Miami Herald.  The communist-fellating Associated Press "wire service" never picked up these stories.

"Local interest only," comrade.

But for some reason, a few days ago the WSJ broke that seeming embargo and ran a piece on life in Johannesburg today.  And it turns out nothing has improved a bit.  Giant potholes on the main streets have been unfilled for years.  Traffic lights inop for years.  Still plagued by rolling blackouts.

So read the piece below (edited to remove fluff) and see how Global Warming has made things worse in SA.  

No, wait...it's because of the U.S. naval blockade on spare parts for South Africa's German-made generators, which is the same reason Cuba uses to explain failed sugarcane harvests.

No, wait:  it's because militant white supremacists in the nation's parliament are blocking the government from re-opening.  (No, wait...that's here in DC!)

No, wait!  It's the harsh economic sanctions levied on duh totally honest black gummint by MAGA Rethuglicans!  Dat's gotta be it! 

Eh, we'll go with Global Warming--s'cuse me: "Climate Change."  Yeh, dat's it.   
===

Johannesburg. What a city looks like when it gives up

--WSJ, Oct. 28, 2025 
  What does it look like when a city stops trying? Visit Johannesburg, where instead of providing basic public services, the government just warns residents not to expect them.

Signs warn drivers what types of crime are most prevalent at highway exits and intersections: “Hi-Jacking Hotspot” or “Smash and Grab Hotspot.” 

At intersections where traffic lights haven’t worked for months, homeless people routinely direct traffic for tips.  Minibus taxis that ferry workers around the city often drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid rush hour traffic.

Johannesburg is South Africa’s biggest city, and bills itself as a “world class African city”--which is ironically true.  It’s home to some of the continent’s biggest companies and its largest stock exchange.  But (again ironically for a communist government) with the city unwilling or unable to provide basic services, private firms have gradually taken over public services, from security to healthcare to mail delivery. Insurance companies fix potholes and support fire brigades to reduce claims.

With all that doesn't work, you might think the G20 nations would hold their next summit (next month) somewhere more...advanced.  Nope, cuz far too many heads of G20 nations are "woke," and would be horrified at the idea of moving the November gathering somewhere else.

One six-foot deep pothole had been filling with water for years.  Another nearby was dug by city workers searching for a leak. Drainage pipes, fiber cables and piles of sand were left blocking a lane of traffic for more than a year, while the 26-foot deep hole filled with water. In July, South Africa’s biggest opposition party held a birthday party with cake for the pothole's one-year anniversary.

To avoid water and electricity outages caused by failing infrastructure, residents who can afford it often drill their own wells and add solar power and battery backup.
====

SO, readers: Is there anything to be learned from the descent of Jo-burg from a world-class city to... something less?

Media and Democrats: "Of course not, citizen!  Socialism/communism makes cities work bettah, not worse!  Really!  Much mo' efficient!  Ev'ryone shares the wealth equally!  It's why we're so excited to elect a communist Muslim as mayor of the largest U.S. city!  He gon' make things faaabulous!"

Source: Wall Street Journal

https://archive.is/M9jQv#selection-2145.11-2485.194