Bree Street repairs: ‘It’s too early to tell’ says City of Joburg

The City of Joburg said “it’s too early” to tell when repairs on Lilian Ngoyi (formerly Bree) Street would be completed.

Bree Street remains defaced and dysfunctional weeks after the July 19 Joburg CBD explosion, with shop owners and informal traders bearing the brunt as they scrape for customers to put bread on the table.

Spokesperson, Nthatisi Modingoane said the City is currently in the process of appointing a service provider to “undertake design work” before repairs can begin.

“A service provider will be appointed this week,” Modingoane told The Citizen.

While most business owners on Bree Street said the City had previously announced repairs would take 18 to 24 months to complete, Modingoane said the City couldn’t provide a timeline as yet.

“It’s way too early to give timelines for now,” Modingoane said.

READ MORE: Bree Street businesses struggle to adapt to ‘new normal’ weeks after explosion

Disaster relief

Shop owners and traders who were recently interviewed by The Citizen, stressed the need for urgent relief, while some said the City had promised to intervene but had since gone silent.

Modingoane confirmed the City had previously met with Bree Street business owners to ascertain the economic impact of the damage, but said the City would assess “each situation on its merits.”

“The City has already submitted an application for a declaration of a local state of disaster – which once approved will unlock additional resources,” he said.

“The City will continue to work with businesses around the area to resolve challenges,” he added.

ALSO READ: How businesses at the epicentre of Joburg CBD explosion are picking up the pieces

Cleaning up

Modingoane said rubble from the damage would be removed during the design phase, adding further investigations would also be conducted in the process.

“The City is prioritising investigations of tunnels within the CBD,” said Modingoane.

“We are treating this exercise with urgency as we need to [fully] understand the level of risk…in these underground cavities, and what short-term…measures need to be put in place,” he added.

Modingoane said plans for Bree Street would extend beyond damage repairs.

“The City is not just restoring services, rather it is driving a rehabilitation programme [to] enhance Lilian Ngoyi (formerly Bree) and surrounding areas,” he told The Citizen.

ALSO READ: Can Bree Street businesses claim from insurance?