January 2, 2006
By Lucky Sindane
TRAFFIC came to a halt in the inner city as hundreds of residents joined in the City's carnival, cheering on the spectacular floats as they paraded through the streets on Saturday to welcome in the New Year in style.
At the head of the parade were Johannesburg Executive Mayor Amos Masondo, minister of safety and security, Charles Ngqakula, and member of the mayoral committee for community development roads and parks, Christine Walters.
Getting ready to walk through the city: Johannesburg Executive Mayor Amos Masondo and Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Ngqakula
The parade started on Kotze Street, near Constitution Hill, travelled through Hillbrow and Braamfontein, over Nelson Mandela Bridge, and ended in Newtown Park, opposite Bassline.
Some 2 000 participants from all of the City's 11 regions took part in the carnival, dressed in exotic costumes of glorious colours. Waving flags and dancing and singing, the participants and onlookers alike got into the festive spirit.
Each region had to design a theme that represented its area, creating costumes, flags, floats, dances and songs.
With the theme Nyakaza - Joburg on the Move, the carnival aimed to create a party atmosphere in the inner city; to celebrate and welcome in the New Year, discouraging crime and vandalism. "We want to bring people together to celebrate in a more positive way," said Walters.
This is the second year that the City has hosted such a carnival.
"The response we got from residents was tremendous," she added. "This carnival is bigger and better and it will continue to grow."
When residents heard sirens, drum beats and loud music they rushed from their flats to investigate, joining in the parade on the street. Others looked on from balconies and windows as the thousands of participants danced by.
Many people gathered on the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown, jiving to the music being played from a truck decorated with an enormous police cap.
The carnival distance tested even the keenest of participants, and even the mayor sat down to rest when the troops stopped to perform.
On the march: Johannesburg Executive Mayor Amos Masondo, Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula and mayoral committee member for community development roads and parks, Christine Walters
"Next year," enthused Walters, "we'll have more and more people celebrating with us."
At the end of the parade, it was then on to Newtown for an all night party of note to usher in the New Year.
Thousands of revellers turned up for the fireworks and to dance the night away to a host of South Africa's top musicians including Zola, Joe Nina, Wonderboom, Camagu and the Finkelsteins.
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