South Africa: Lilian Ngoyi Street to Fully Reopen After Repairs Run R40 Million Over Budget

1 September 2025
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Dylan Bettencourt
  • The road will fully reopen on 12 September, nearly two years after the explosion that killed 15 people and tore through Johannesburg's CBD.
  • The rebuild has cost R215-million so far, R40-million over budget, leaving businesses and residents angry over delays and missed deadlines.

Johannesburg's Lilian Ngoyi Street has partially reopened after almost two years following the 2023 gas explosion but the repair has reportedly gone R40-million over budget.

The road reopened on 1 September and will fully reopen on 12 September, according to the City. It comes after repairs that have already cost more than R215-million, R40-million more than planned.

Mayor Dada Morero has been slammed for missed deadlines. The project was first set for completion in December 2024, then moved to July 2025, then August. Last week, the City announced "Phase 1" was complete, though the road was still closed.

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The Democratic Alliance says Morero misled residents and has written to the National Treasury to demand a forensic audit of the contracts. "Morero is allergic to deadlines but a pro at shifting the goalposts," the party said.

The 2023 blast killed 15 people, injured dozens and ripped open 450m of road between Harrison and Kruis Streets.

For small businesses in the CBD, the wait for reopening has been devastating.

Shoe shop owner Emmanuel Ekwe told the Sowetan that, "ten years I have been building this business, and in two years everything collapsed. I sometimes go weeks without a single sale. I have three people depending on me and every day I feel like I am failing them."

Salon worker Nana Mthombeni said: "Before I could easily pay my rent and still provide for myself. Now, I can't even cover R1,500."

Street trader Linah Langa, who has worked on Bree Street for 27 years, said her customers no longer travel from Soweto or Eldorado Park. "Before, I made R400 to R500 a day. Nowadays I make nothing. I cannot even put food on the table."

Mayor Morero insists underground pipes and tunnels have been fixed and there will be no repeat of the explosion. But many residents and traders say their lives remain on hold until the road fully reopens.

Read the original article on Scrolla.

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