DA's Msimanga says he'll give his 'left kidney' if Lilian Ngoyi Street repairs completed by end of August
The DA visited the site to assess the progress of the ongoing repairs.
Repairs to Bree Street on 22 July 2025, following a gas explosion in 2023. Picture: Jacques Nelles/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng said it doubted that repairs to Lilian Ngoyi Street in the Johannesburg CBD will be finished by the end of August.
The street was severely damaged by an underground gas explosion exactly two years ago.
Repair work is underway, with the city promising the road will be opened to the public on 31 August.
The DA visited the site to assess the progress of the ongoing repairs.
With just over a month remaining before the City of Johannesburg plans to reopen Lilian Ngoyi Street, doubts have emerged about the metro will meet its own deadline.
When Eyewitness News visited the site earlier this year, the city was busy installing new underground pipes and laying concrete slabs to reinforce the road.
Construction teams are currently working on the road’s foundation, but there are no indications that asphalt will be applied anytime soon.
DA Gauteng leader, Solly Msimanga, said he did not expect the road to be open to the public by the end of August.
"By August, if anything is completed here, I will give you my left kidney. We have now been told that over R200 million has been spent to fix this but nothing has been fixed."
The city said it would provide an official update on their progress later on Tuesday.