On Monday Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero “officially opened” Lilian Ngoyi Street, just over two years after an underground gas explosion destroyed a section of it.
But the opening part of the mayor’s announcement is a little misleading. The street will only be open for all road users on September 12.
Morero said there were still a few things to be done on the road which then raises questions about the so-called launch of its completion. While Morero said that the project was officially completed, he admitted a few matters on the pavements still needed attention.
Monday’s event was therefore nothing but a ribbon-cutting and photo opportunity for the mayor who has come under sharp public scrutiny because of the state of the city he presides over.
So, to be clear, the rehabilitation of Lilian Ngoyi Street isn’t complete because there is phase 2 of the project which will be completed next year. Phase 2 will still have some disruptions to traffic in the area, another bitter pill to swallow for businesses and road users who have waited more than two years now.
The city’s response to the disaster has been marked by chaos from the start. It took more than seven months for the metro to investigate the cause of the explosion. When the investigation was completed, it found no conclusive evidence of where the methane gas that caused the destruction came from.
The repair of the road was also marred by delays, missed deadlines and a contractor being fired for poor performance. Joburg Roads Agency CEO Zweli Nyati said the explosion gave it an opportunity to check underneath the city as it never had that opportunity before. This statement is astounding given the public has still not been told where the methane gas that caused the explosion came from. It gives little confidence that the risk of another explosion therefore can be mitigated.
If anything ought to be learnt from what happened at Lilian Ngoyi Street in Johannesburg, it must be that neglect of infrastructure is costly.
Nearly R200m was spent on repairing the street while businesses were forced to close shop for years and traders suffered major losses of income.
A lack of maintenance of infrastructure has exposed Joburg residents to drainage hazards, misaligned manhole covers and bridges on the brink of collapse. The explosion in 2023 served as a reminder that the city is broken and authorities must acknowledge that to start putting it on the right path before rushing to cut ribbons.
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