Johannesburg Library Reopening: City Revived?
- After five years of closure, the Johannesburg City Library has reopened its doors, offering a beacon of hope amid the city's struggles with unemployment, infrastructure decay, and chronic...
- Jason Martins, an agricultural economics major, frequents the library for its quiet atmosphere, a stark contrast to the "tough" urban neighborhood he calls home.The library, with its 1.5...
- Yunus Chamda, program coordinator for the Joburg Crisis Alliance, said the city government listened to the voice of the people after activists pressured officials to reopen the library,...
Johannesburg Library Reopens, Sparking Hope Amid Challenges
Updated June 20, 2025
After five years of closure, the Johannesburg City Library has reopened its doors, offering a beacon of hope amid the city’s struggles with unemployment, infrastructure decay, and chronic outages. The reopening of the Johannesburg library, a historic institution, is seen as a symbolic turnaround for the city.
Jason Martins, an agricultural economics major, frequents the library for its quiet atmosphere, a stark contrast to the ”tough” urban neighborhood he calls home.The library, with its 1.5 million books, had been inaccessible to the city’s 5.8 million residents as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Yunus Chamda, program coordinator for the Joburg Crisis Alliance, said the city government listened to the voice of the people after activists pressured officials to reopen the library, which has stood in its current location since 1935.Chamda said the reopening is symbolic of a turnaround, not just for the library, but for Johannesburg as a whole.
The library, which covers a full city block, closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The city government cited urgent repairs, but the extended timeline raised concerns. David Fleminger, chair of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, noted the constant turnover in city government hindered progress.
Chamda, who is in his 60s, recalled the library’s importance. In 1974, it became the first in the country to allow patrons of all races. Chamda said it was a safe place to access information and study.
Stanley Mokaiwa,a pensioner,participated in the protests. He was arrested in 1984 for distributing banned literature and spent nine months in jail. Later, in 2012, Mokaiwa helped form a book club at the library, which lasted until the 2020 closure.
Brian Mugdza, a library patron, said the city is not inviting to young people anymore and feels unsafe. He added that the library has witnessed the inner city’s woes.
What’s next
Chamda hopes the library’s partial reopening in March will spark further improvements in the city. He said that doing one block right encourages the next.