Lilian Ngoyi set to reopens next week. Image: SABC
(The Post News)- The Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised City of Johannesburg’s Mayor Dada Morero over the Lilian Ngoyi Street upgrade, stating that it has failed to meet deadlines and exceeding its budget. This is after Morero announced that the street would be reopened next week.
The road collapsed in almost two years ago following a methane gas explosion, forcing its closure. According to the DA, only 22% of the project has been completed so far, while more than R22 million of the original R70 million contract has already been spent.
DA Johannesburg Caucus Leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku says the party is calling for a full investigation into the road construction project. “Morero is allergic to deadlines but a pro at shifting things as it suits his poor planning.
“It is for this reason that the DA has written to the National Treasury to request a full investigation into all contracts related to the Lilian Ngoyi Street project. We want clarity on whether the executive mayor and senior officials are personally benefiting from these inflated budgets,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
JRA CEO Defends Project Amid DA Criticism
According to reports, the city has finalised the first phase of reconstruction at a cost of roughly R82 million, using paving bricks instead of traditional tar. Officials confirmed that phase two will commence right away, with over R110 million set aside to carry the upgrades through until 2026.
Nyathi blames heavy rain fall in the delayed the work. “Just five months ago, there was rain for two months, that the whole channel was full of water. If it’s not dry, you cannot work. We had to come with other means of technology and added more manpower,” he said.
Nyathi stated that although a catch-up plan had been introduced to meet the August deadline, some smaller areas still experienced delays.
He adds that waiting for conditions to dry had stalled contractors, resulting in significant time being lost.
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