Johannesburg - City of Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and city manager Floyd Brink confirmed on Wednesday that it would cost at least R178 million to complete the repairs to affected infrastructure following last month’s Joburg CBD gas explosion.
With more than R8 million already spent on investigation and repair work, city officials provided an update on the latest findings into the explosion.
As the city continues to investigate the source of the methane gas, which it said led to the explosion, repairs should begin soon.
On July 19, 2023, a devastating gas leak led to the explosion, which resulted in the death of one person, damage to at least 34 cars, and injuries to more than 40 civilians.
Addressing members of the media on the latest findings, Brink said he and other officials had been diligently working to respond and recover, adding that the estimated cost of repairs was likely to increase as work on the scene continued.
He said it might take at least 18 months to repair the pipelines and other structures that might have to be completely overhauled in order to prevent future explosions on the route.
‘’We can guarantee you it will not be 18 months. We’ve got a clear interest as a city to show what we can do in a short space of time.’’
Gwamanda said that while he understood the urgency of the matter, the city manager should not be put under pressure to complete this project.
‘’From the onset, our focus was to ensure the safety of residents in the immediate area of the explosion, to secure the site of the explosion, and thereafter to recover services to the area.’’
‘’As a city, we are grateful to the men and women who undertook this task and who did so excellently. Our experts and team have expressed to us that the manner in which we responded was in line with international standards and protocols,’’ the mayor said.
‘’We are also humbled by the support received from the province and national governments.’’
‘’We must also thank the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the variety of other private security and emergency response service providers who offered their skills, resources, and experience in response to the explosion and aftermath.’’
Gwamanda said that after having established a technical team to oversee the repair work, the city has been receiving international inquiries from those who want to share their knowledge and expertise.
‘’This team has included highly experienced engineers, gas specialists, technologists, and academics who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we conduct a rigorous investigation into the possible causes of the explosion.
‘’The team has also been inundated with a number of inquiries from Cities and Engineers across the globe who closely follow such incidents. There is international interest to understand the causes of the explosion and to build knowledge on such events as they occur across the globe,’’ he said.
The Star