City of Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has cancelled a scheduled trip to the Russia-Africa Summit currently taking place in Saint Petersburg, in Russia. 

This cancellation comes as a result of his prioritising the city following the gas explosion on Lilian Ngoyi street which took place last Wednesday.  

Gwamanda said he appreciated the invitation and highlighted the city’s contribution as a leading centre of investment and development on the continent.

“The invitation was evidence of the significance of Johannesburg to the continent and the global economy and would’ve presented an opportunity for the City to once more take its rightful place in global socio-economic and political discourse,” he said.

The mayor’s proposed visit sought to strengthen city-to-city relations and this was viewed as the impetus for foreign investment.

Gwamanda is currently involved in a series of meetings with the City’s Joint Operations Committee and technical team to gauge the progress made so far in the central business district (CBD). He will continue with briefs and assessing sites on a regular basis.

“This was an unscheduled occurrence and must, therefore, be treated with the urgency it deserves, life as we know it is at stake, and the sooner we get to the root cause and find permanent solutions, the sooner the lives of our people can go back to normal along with the hustle and bustle of the CBD as we know it,” Gwamanda said.