The beautiful skyline of a once great city Photo Lonely Planet
Johannesburg – In the aftermath of the Bree Street explosion just over a month ago, growing apprehension about the declining condition of Johannesburg’s infrastructure is becoming increasingly evident. Following the Marshalltown fire and a surge in building hijackings, the recent tragic incident in Braamfontein, where an explosion resulted in injuries to five individuals, serves as yet another alarming indicator of the city’s deteriorating state.
According to officials, an explosion occurred during maintenance work on a pipeline at the intersection of Bertha and De Korte streets, involving Egoli Gas employees. This incident resulted in a fire that engulfed one of the company’s trucks and caused damage to a section of a nearby building.
Infrastructure challenges
According to Nthatisi Modingoane, CoJ media officer, Johannesburg has been facing infrastructure challenges, particularly concerning its underground tunnels. The tunnels were originally built for much smaller cities. As the city expanded, the tunnels which were under the pavement originally, now find themselves in the middle of the road. Something the municipality wants to change.
“One of the things that we want to do with the reconstruction of Bree Street is to look at redesigning all the tunnels in the CBD of Johannesburg so that they comply with International standards. So that we don’t have to deal with these issues. Having said that, we need to also engage with other service providers that have their services running underneath so that they work with us and invest in it as well so that our redesigns, going forward, are sustainable and are able to withstand the pressures that the city is experiencing currently.”
Some have drawn connections between the Zama Zama illegal mining activities and the infrastructure problems in downtown Johannesburg. However, Modingoane confirmed that reports do not show a direct link between the two. The city is actively working on redesigning and securing its tunnels to prevent similar incidents.
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Property hijacking in Johannesburg
Another troubling problem afflicting Johannesburg, exacerbating the city’s decline, is the issue of property hijacking. Criminal syndicates have taken over both buildings and private houses, causing significant distress to property owners. While the city is trying to clean up the city in this aspect, it remains a complex challenge that requires multi-agency cooperation.
“We have a department which we call GFIS, Group Forensics and Investigation Services in the city of Johannesburg. One of their tasks and functions is to investigate cases of building hijackings and work with South African Police Service and other agencies to try and reinstate those buildings to their rightful owners.”
According to Modingoane, it is not only flats that are being hijacked but also residential homes. Although the syndicates mostly target buildings. So far, the city has reclaimed 66 of the 188 hijacked properties.
Johannesburg is facing a series of challenges that range from infrastructure inadequacies to criminal activities and tragic incidents. While the road to recovery and safety may be long and the city is actively taking steps to address these issues, it has taken far too long to act. The city has been reactive instead of proactive which has led to many tragic events that shouldn’t have taken place. Should the city continue to remain reacting, Johannesburg could very well lose its title as a world-class city if it hasn’t already happened.
