City cleanses M1 highway OR The road to healing

The City of Johannesburg, along with a group of religious leaders, held a special cleansing ceremony on the M1 highway on 13 November following the fatal collapse of the Grayston Drive pedestrian bridge.

The ceremony saw various members of the City of Johannesburg, construction workers, religious leaders and members of Metro police gathering at the scene of the bridge collapse which occurred on 14 October and claimed the lives of two commuters while injuring 19 others.

The traffic on the M1 highway was cleared by Metro police, leaving the area just under the bridge safe for the cleansing ceremony to take place. Sipho Khumalo, Liaquas Ebrahim and guru Pswaminatha Sharma led a multi-denominational cleansing in the two areas where motorists died, which were marked by representative of the Johannesburg Emergency Services, Seelan Govender.

Religious leader Reverand Dr Phinde Ngwenya said the event was an important step towards healing following the horrific collapse.

Acting Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Sello Lemau, said the ceremony was a way for the city to pay respects to the deceased and the people who were affected; while cleansing the area on the highway in a bid to ensure another incident does not occur. He added that the city and various other agencies are still investigating the cause of the collapse.

Lemau said, “We also recognise the importance of the pedestrian bridge over the M1 highway and will commence construction immediately.”

Representative of the City of Johannesburg, Mally Mokoena, thanked the various agencies and individuals who attended the ceremony, including Metro police members and emergency services. He also thanked the families of the injured and deceased for their permission to host the cleansing ceremony.

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