The article below forms part of Mike Alfred's series on Joburg personalities from the first decade of the 21st century. Click here to view Kathy Munro's fantastic introduction and here to view the series index. The stories were written in 2005/6.
Ronel Bischoff is forty two. She’s small and attractive; looks very good in uniform. She’s married, mother to three teenage daughters, one of them adopted. As Director, with the equivalent rank of brigadier, she has recently taken command of the 222 member, Jeppe Police Station, on the eastern edge of central Joburg. Her ‘government issue’ office features landscape and wild animal pictures. Two teddy bears huddle together on a chair. I assume they’re for kids whose mothers are letting their hair down to the Director. Perhaps they help the children themselves to speak? Jeppe has long been known as one of the tougher urban postings. Its area of jurisdiction encompasses Jeppestown, Ellis Park, Bertrams, Troyeville, Belgravia, Doornfontein and part of Kensington. Diverse, might describe the precinct well. It comprises major sports stadia, several industrial and commercial areas, million rand homes on Langermann Kop, restored old miner’s houses in Troyeville. It presents a complex panorama of early Joburg.
Ellis Park from above (The Heritage Portal)
It’s partly a rough area, full of people desperately...
