The Mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, has withdrawn from the Russia-Africa Summit to attend to the ongoing recovery process, following the gas explosion on Bree Street last week.
The Russia-Africa Summit, which is currently taking place in St Petersburg, Russia, began on Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin welcoming the various African leaders. African leaders in attendance include President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Comoros President Azali Assoumani.
“The Russia-Africa Summit is a critical engagement, and as a city, we were humbled to be invited to participate and to showcase our city as a leading and vibrant centre of investment and development on the continent,” Gwamanda said.
Gwamanda added that the invitation to the summit was "evidence of the significance of Johannesburg to the continent and the global economy and would have presented an opportunity for the city to once more take its rightful place in global socio-economic and political discourse".
As the City of Johannesburg remains an attractive investment destination, Gwamanda was expected to attend the summit along with a delegation of high-powered individuals to strengthen city-to-city relationships that would encourage foreign investment.
In addition to regular briefings and site assessments, Gwamanda is currently convening a series of meetings with the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) and the technical team regarding the progress made since the gas leak explosion.
"This was an unscheduled occurrence and must therefore be treated with the urgency it deserves. Life as we know it, is at stake, and the sooner we get to the root cause and find permanent solutions, the sooner the lives of our people can go back to normal, along with the hustle and bustle of the CBD as we know it,“ said Gwamanda.
IOL