By Palesa Matlala
· Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero confirmed that phase one of the R200-million street restoration project was completed on 1 September.
· · Witnesses say they are still traumatised by the blast that killed one person, injured dozens and forced businesses to shut.
Lillian Ngoyi precinct, still widely known as Bree Street, is back in action after being shut down for two years.
The street in central Johannesburg was closed following a major underground gas explosion that ripped through the area in July 2023. The blast killed one person, injured dozens and caused massive damage to businesses and infrastructure.
Now, the city has completed phase one of the R200-million rebuild. The road has been upgraded with paving bricks instead of tar to make it safer and longer-lasting.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero announced the reopening on 1 September. But the project didn’t go smoothly. The first contractor hired to fix the road was removed after a dispute, and the city had to bring in a new company to finish the job.
Traffic is once again flowing through the busy street, and local businesses are finally reopening their doors.
But for some, the trauma of the explosion still lingers.
Julias Sekwe was working at a fish and chips shop near the blast site when it happened. “I was about to knock off when the ground shook,” he said. “All I remember was hearing a big bang and seeing a taxi in the air.”
He said he ran back inside and hid under the counter, thinking the building might collapse.
Sekwe says the explosion was only the beginning of their suffering. With the street closed, customers disappeared. Business dried up, salaries were cut and crime in the area got worse.
“People don’t know how dark this place has been,” he said. “We would hear women screaming because they were being mugged or raped.”
Two years later, Sekwe says he’s scared it could all happen again — but he has no choice but to stay.
“I still fear for my safety,” he said. “But I need the job.”
Pictured above: Bree Street back open to the public after deadly 2023 explosion
Image source: Supplied
