JOHANNESBURG FROM THE RIVERBANKS, navigating the Jukskei
244pp., illus., maps, paperback, HSRC Press, Cape Town, 2025
ISBN: 9780796926883
A collection of writings by activists, community members, journalists, artists, social scientists, and natural scientists on the role of the Jukskei river in the cultural, social, political and scientific life of Johannesburg.
Contributions include:
"Riparian urbanism: Thinking Johannesburg with the Jukskei" by Mehita Iqani and Renugan Raidoo
"The historical Jukskei River valley: A botanical benchmark" by Antoinette Boostma
"Macroplastic pollution within the Jukskei River: How much, what kind and why does it matter?" by Kyle Van Heyde
"Where water once stood, it shall stand again: stances on fluvial art practice" by Nina Barnett, Refiloe Namise and Abri de Swardt
"Radiation and rapture: Images of healing and pollution in the Jukskei River by Landi Raubenheimer
"Dirty river: Whiteness, pollution and the Jukskei" by Nicky Falkof
"The creaturely life of the Jukskei, and anxious bewilderment of faecal discourse" by Jessica Webster
"What elites think with the Jukskei: Property, race, and blame in totemic thought" by Renugan Raidoo
"The river is our resource: Alex Water Warriors" by Paul Maluleke
"Temporary or permanent? The built environment and living conditions in Stjwetla informal settlement" by Savory Chikomwe
"Converging currents: Urban ecological design strategies towards a resilient river system" by Dieter Brandt
"A fine example of the power of critical interdisciplinary studies, not only of the Jukskei River itself, but also how we are able to see and understand Johannesburg in refreshing ways. This book is a critical intervention in the increasing importance of studies on the preservation, restoration and sustainability of rivers. An invigorating read for anyone interested in understanding the nature-urban interaction." Mucha Musemwa, Professor of History and Executive Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Wits
"This book exposes how the processes of modernisation - mining, industry and urbanisation - have poisoned this historic waterway, and highlights how its banks, from the inner city to the plush northern suburbs, reflect the city's stark inequalities. This collection also offers hope: artists, activists and ordinary citizens are shown to work tirelessly and imaginatively to reconfigure people's interaction with the river. By entering the well-being of the Jukskei, this timely book makes a crucial contribution to current conversations about the environmental crisis, especially Johannesburg's water catastrophe." Noor Nieftagodien, Head of the History Workshop, Wits
Mehita Iqani is the South African Research Chair in Science Communication at Stellenbosch University. Prior to this she was Professor in Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her latest books include African Luxury Branding: From soft power to queer futures (2023), Garbage in Popular Culture (2021), Media Studies: Critical African and Decolonial Approaches (2019) and African Luxury (2019). She is currently leading the SARChI research programme under the theme, “Science Communication for Social Justice”.
Renugan Raidoo is a lecturer in social anthropology at Stellenbosch University. A former Rhodes Scholar, he completed his PhD at Harvard University, and has taught at both Harvard and Brandeis Universities.