‘No meaningful progress’: ActionSA urges Gauteng government to declare Lillian Ngoyi Street a disaster zone amid repair delays

ActionSA is calling on the Gauteng provincial government to promptly declare Lillian Ngoyi Street, formerly known as Bree Street, a disaster zone to fast-track its necessary repairs.

The road sustained significant damage from a methane gas explosion on July 19, 2023, which also caused substantial damage to nearby roads. Close to 50 people were injured as a result.

The road rehabilitation project was allocated R196 million by the City of Joburg and split into two phases, with work beginning in January 2024.

The first phase was expected to be completed by November 2024, but delays have arisen due to issues with the contractor.

ActionSA’s Joburg councillor Lebo Mokoka said that the street closure has had a detrimental effect on both businesses and residents.

Mokoka said despite the R196 million allocated for the reconstruction, the contractor has made “no meaningful progress”.

“Given the minimal work completed, it is evident that the contractor will fail to meet their contractual obligations and will not complete Phase 1 of the project by December, as stipulated in the contract agreement,” Mokoka said.

Last week, IOL News reported that the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) said it intends to cancel the tender for the repair project of the road due to delays with the appointed contractor.

JRA spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers said the repair project has experienced delays, with Durapi Consulting awarded the tender, and Step Up Engineering as the contractor.

“Despite previous interventions, the appointed contractor has had challenges meeting their contractual obligations,” she said.

Peters-Scheepers said as a result, the JRA, as an entity of the City of Joburg, had issued a formal notice of intent to terminate the contract if the contractor does not rectify the situation.

In addition, Mokoka called on the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) to urgently declare Lillian Ngoyi Street a disaster zone to expedite the necessary repairs.

“The prolonged repair is not only affecting businesses and residents but also commuters, and this situation cannot continue unabated.”

Mokoka praised the JRA for its decision to end the contract with the current contractor.

“However, we also encourage JRA to address the concerns raised by the contractor, which have contributed to project delays.”

Mokoka said those issues include the presence of three live cables which are impeding progress and jeopardising the December 2024 deadline for Phase 1.

“While JRA is focused on Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) packages, it is crucial for JRA, the contractor, and other stakeholders such as City Power to collaboratively resolve these significant issues,” he said.

IOL