insight Jozi News

# 🏚️ **The Big Lie: How Government is the Biggest Landlord of Johannesburg’s Rotting Buildings** **By Noko Mabofa Maleka | Insight Jozi News** They call them *indawo emnyama* — “dark places” in isiZulu. These buildings, scattered across Johannesburg's inner city like open wounds, are rotten, stripped of dignity, cloaked in darkness, and crawling with the ghosts of the government's neglect. They are not “hijacked buildings,” as the popular narrative would have you believe. No, the truth is more uncomfortable: an estimated **92%** of these so-called hijacked buildings **still legally belong to the government** — national, provincial, or municipal. But the state has effectively abandoned them, leaving them to rot into terrifying monuments of crime, poverty, and despair. Welcome to Johannesburg’s biggest open secret: **the government is the slumlord-in-chief.** --- ## 💡 **The Myth of 'Hijacked Buildings'** The term “hijacked building” conjures images of private prop...

From Backyard to Breakthrough: How Noko Moholane's Farm Dreams Are Blossoming Despite Government Neglect By Noko Mabofa Maleka | Insight Jozi News In the heart of Moletjie, Limpopo, where the sun scorches dry soil and hope often battles hardship, a young man named Noko Moholane is quietly rewriting the story of rural agriculture in South Africa. Armed with a Bachelor of Agriculture degree from the University of Limpopo , Noko was filled with dreams of cultivating the land, feeding communities, and becoming a contributor to South Africa’s food security. But what he wasn’t prepared for was the silent war he would face after graduation — a war against a lack of support, a shortage of land, and the deafening silence of a government that claims to champion agricultural development. “After finishing my degree, I applied for land, I knocked on every door — but nothing. Not even a response,” says Moholane. “Eventually I realized I had to start where I was, with what I had — my ya...

Who is Noko Maleka? | Insight Jozi News Who is Noko Maleka? Noko Mabofa Maleka (born June 23, 1986 in Polokwane, Limpopo) is a South African reality TV star, radio presenter, journalist, podcaster, and digital marketer . He is best known for his role in the Moja Love Channel 157 show Sugar Mama's Johannesburg , where he stars alongside his wife, Princess Cookie Tjeo Kgaphola-Maleka of Sekhukhuni Royalty. Maleka is the founder of Insight Jozi News , a blog and street-level media platform covering Johannesburg life. He also hosts shows on 1 Africa Radio TV and previously worked at Mzansi Joburg City FM, Jozi FM, Classic FM, and Otee FM (as station manager). Background & Education High School: Sir Harry Oppenheimer High School Electrical Engineering: Tshwane North College Diploma in Public Relations: UNISA (University of South Africa) Media and Communications: Boston College Career Journey ...

A Day in Bree Taxi Rank: Where Chaos Becomes Rhythm By Noko Maleka | Insight Jozi News It’s 5:00 AM and the concrete corridors of Bree Taxi Rank begin to pulse with movement. Horns honk, hawkers shout, wheels squeal. What may look like chaos to an outsider is actually an orchestrated daily miracle — transporting thousands of Johannesburg's workers, hustlers, and dreamers to their destinations. The Beat of the City Every minute at Bree tells a story. A woman sells vetkoeks from a bucket. A student clutches his backpack, heading to campus. A taxi driver wipes down his Quantum, blasting amapiano through worn speakers. Everyone is going somewhere — but all of them meet here. The Human Conveyor Belt With over 200,000 people passing through daily , Bree is not just a transport hub — it’s an informal mall, a food court, a networking space, and a workplace. It's where haircuts are given in 15 minutes and you can buy a tracksuit, sim card, or boiled eggs befor...