Bree Street businesses are struggling
Bree Street businesses have also been hit hard by the underground explosion.
The Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) said businesses struggled for a week without electricity following the explosion on Bree Street (now called Lilian Ngoyi Street) and the consequences of this were still being felt.
The incident in the Joburg CBD saw one person killed and 48 injured on July 19, while a 1km evacuation zone was initiated and streets were blocked off for an investigation and the safety of the public. City Power claimed that the full supply of electricity had been restored by July 25.
Also read: Several roads remain closed in the Joburg CBD post-explosion
This break in service delivery impacted commuters and businesses in the area.
“All businesses requiring water and power felt the negative brunt of the explosion,” said RCCI CEO Linda Blackbeard. “Some small shops don’t want to open as they are concerned about the criminal element robbing them. Others like the hairdressers had to find hair design work not requiring power or water.”
This included operating with solar lights. Still, business owners were unhappy with the situation. “Others wanted to move to other areas when they said they will feel safer.”
She said food vendors have lost their positions on street corners and pavement spaces so they too felt desperate and were looking for other spaces to operate. “The shops alongside the blast areas are still concerned that there will be more subsidence so they don’t want to even open.”
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