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TAIL OF
THE DOG

Field of Dreams

eople who love Johannesburg the north of this east-west motorway. in the area are being turned into
never fail to deliver. The If you look to the south, you will see low-cost accommodation for the MII
Pnewest surprise is the Field that the buildings there are no more students.
of Dreams, a full-sized soccer pitch than two or three storeys high.
in Selby, on the southwest edge of The Field of Dreams is the first full
the central business district, tucked The Jozi My Jozi offices are based in sized football field in the inner city in
into the corner of the intersecting the beautiful art deco Anglo American over 100 years (and Johannesburg is
motorways that run south and east. building on Main Street, and directly only 139 years old). There are other
opposite is one of the main centres smaller pitches on rooftops, or in
This project has been driven and of the Maharishi Invincibility Institute. parks, but to have this open space
funded by the Standard Bank on This was a building owned by Anglo is remarkable. In the mornings, small
land owned by them, Dr Ali Bacher American, and when they moved children from inner city schools are
(Mr Cricket South Africa), Jozi My their head office to London and bussed in to play there. Nearby is
Jozi and the Maharishi Invincibility subsidiary offices to Rosebank another sports area, a baseball court
Institute, which is based nearby. The Johannesburg, the building was called the Field of Giants. Next to this
ground itself has been sitting unused given to the MII. It is now a college is a small five-a-side football pitch.
for a while, half-heartedly designated that takes in high school and older
as a park. It is based on ’unstable students from the inner city, offering With all the naysaying about
ground’ so an area not suitable for a ‘skills-to-work’ education. One of Johannesburg, it is wonderful
any high rise building as there are their main offerings is the Security that there are enthusiasts and
mining works below. In fact, the Mastery Academy programme philanthropists that actually make
whole area to the south of the M2 lasting three years, where graduates things like this happen.
East motorway is ‘unstable ground’, are guaranteed employment at the
so the high-rise buildings are all to end. The unused mining head offices Gill Butler

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