There was a time when the Newtown precinct in Johannesburg was a hub of high culture. At the Market Theatre, three productions would be running to full houses, with thespians ranging from Siyabonga Twala to Nomsa Nene and Ramolao Makhene to Thembi Mtshali showing their talents.
Eric Miyeni would be shouting down everybody at the Yard of Ale. Across the road at Niki’s Oasis, jazz cats including Khaya Mahlangu would be keeping the fires burning. At Kippies jazz club, Hugh Masekela would be having people in stitches with his tales of debauchery in the US. If you were into hard rock, you would crawl over to Carfax where youngsters with painted faces and tattoos to make Lil Wayne cringe would be doing their thing.
Food, everything from bunny chow to succulent steak, was excellent at Gramadoelas. If you were into indigenous cuisine you’d have your umngqusho and upense at Niki’s.
Almost every weekend, people came out in their numbers, dressed to the nines, conversing in all imaginable languages.
Apart from the formal performances at these venues, there were impromptu shindigs right there in the great piazza — with Masike "Funky" Mohapi, the former lead singer of Afro-rock group Harari, belting out a song to be joined by Brenda Fassie, at the top of her game at the time.
If Twitter and social media in general were around, #NewtownPrecinct would have trended almost every weekend. What a time, what a place. Back in the 1990s. Nostalgia is generally borne of guilt as you wonder: what if I had done things this or that way? In my column two weeks ago I had the temerity to suggest that downtown Joburg had gone to the dogs. Not exactly. It’s just that you get angry when your town shows signs of succumbing to crime and grime.
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To express my contrition to Mother Joburg, I went downtown over the weekend, choosing the Newtown precinct as my entry point.
For those who haven’t been there in a long time, you will find the changes refreshing.
In addition to the mall, conveniently located behind the theatre, there is a beautiful City Lodge hotel, and some upmarket residential apartments. The Market Theatre itself has been expanded so that there are new performance venues and halls. Worth keeping in mind for conferences or team-building exercises.
But on Sunday I wanted to eat. So off to Outie Bakery + Cafe. The ambience is chic township, meaning lots of tourists and artistic types, à la Vilakazi Street in Soweto. My rump steak, medium rare, was excellent and reasonable at R95. The veggies were surprisingly crisp for a place that sells itself as a "township" setting. In the township we cook our veggies to death. Joking. To round things off, I had red velvet cake, which at R42 a slice does not come cheap.
But, hey, the brothers have to pay the rent and staff. Speaking of which, my waitress, Katlego, was swift and excellent without being intrusive.
Sitting at a table outside, I had a beer or two while enjoying the colourful traffic — John Kani, probably late for a meeting, literally running into the Market; couples walking through the piazza; arty types hustling CDs and books. Beautiful as it all was, there was still something missing. I don’t know what.
Oops, I forgot to include some politics in this column. Ag, next week there’ll be something new to say about VBS Bank. Or Jacob Zuma. Or King Goodwill Zwelithini. Or Julius Malema. You can take that to the bank.
141 Lillian Ngoyi Street, Newtown
Tel: 011-492-1371
Lindiwe Sisulu *****
Cyril Ramaphosa ****
Mmusi Maimane ***
Bathabile Dlamini **
VBS Bank *
— Outie Bakery + Cafe ****
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