The Joburg Jol, over the top, alcohol fueled and always with an element of danger. Throw in a reason to party and it could go anywhere.
Tonight the police have the City of Johannesburg (Joburg) in lock down.
In the past there have been riots, refrigerators thrown from high rise buildings and shots traded with the police on the streets of Hillbrow.
What will tonight bring? I will soon find out. I have been press ganged into working the New Year’s eve shift. It will mean visiting trauma wards, heading to the slum of Hillbrow and trawling the nightclubs, to see how the jol is going to go.
Already on the streets today I watched traders hawking illegal fireworks. The stuff that blow fingers off children and fill casualty wards.
Maybe there will be a riot or perhaps a good old highveld thunderstorm will dampen the jol.
Who knows.
And in keeping with my new multimedia ways, I will be posting into the night as it happens. It will be on the fly so do forgive if the pictures are a little shaky or the words a little wobbly. Chat later.
Oh, and to those overseas visitors who might be wondering what a jol is. Here is a definition: Jol, an Afrikaans work with many meanings, including party, disco, having fun.