Summary

In just over a century of existence, Johannesburg, the "City of Gold," has played a vital role in the development of South Africa. Today, it is the center of Gauteng, the province which serves as the economic heart of the entire region. The city continues to exert influence over the whole of the African sub-continent. Johannesburg's evolution in the last two decades provide important insights into the transformation of South Africa as a whole. The Dictionary is of great value to readers who wish to understand events that shaped South Africa in the successive eras of gold discovery, British colonization, Nationalist Party apartheid legislation, and transformation under the aegis of the African National Congress. The Musikers make an important departure from previous historical surveys in that they include information on the role of the original indigenous inhabitants of South Africa who occupied the area of the future city long before the first white settlers, and who, through their intensive labor on the gold mines, played a decisive role in the progress of Johannesburg. The present volume, besides covering the economic and political history of Johannesburg, also deals with cultural aspects of the city including architecture, art, music, and theatre, which provide a fascinating multi-cultural portrait of the cosmopolitan city.