Arcadia City Improvement District (CID) partners recently restored the historic Lion Bridge in Pretoria Central during Heritage Month.

The restoration work, carried out from September 22 to 23, focused on cleaning the iconic lion statues, restoring pavements, and tidying up the surrounding area.

Lion Bridge, locally known as Leeubrug, spans the Apies River and forms a prominent feature of the local landscape. In May, the CID and its partners unveiled the Lionesses of Tshwane – 42 mural paintings along Edmond Street and Nelson Mandela Drive – as part of a broader urban renewal project led by the Tsotsoletso Managed Area.

Collaborative heritage preservation

Arcadia CID executive Catherine Keyworth highlighted the importance of preserving national heritage symbols, noting that investment in public spaces, art, and heritage directly benefits the local economy and community life. She added that the restoration of the lions follows the 2026 purple lioness artworks as an example of successful collaboration.

City Property Administration team members Rani Jayanath, Charlotte Loubser, and Tony Maloney painstakingly restored the four historic pieces by hand to preserve their character.

Tshwane University of Technology brought an educational and creative perspective to the project, while the City of Tshwane’s Roads and Stormwater department provided technical guidance to safeguard surrounding infrastructure.

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