Concerns mount over safety, compliance, and spending priorities as City prepares to move valuable artworks
The City of Johannesburg’s plan to restore the historic Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) is facing growing scrutiny, after it emerged that nearly half of the R50 million refurbishment budget will be spent on relocating artworks rather than fixing the building itself.
According to City officials, approximately R23.6 million has been allocated to prepare temporary storage facilities for the gallery’s collection, which includes more than 9,000 artworks spanning over a century. The relocation sites include Museum Africa in Newtown, a nearby warehouse known as the Pink Building, and the Brixton Multipurpose Centre.
Safety and suitability concerns
The move, however, has sparked alarm among heritage groups, art experts, and opposition parties. Organisations such as the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and Friends of JAG argue that the identified facilities may not meet international standards required to safely store valuable and fragile artworks.
Critics point specifically to concerns around climate control, security, and structural safety. The attic-level storage space at Museum Africa has been described as “unfit for purpose,” with risks including water leaks, temperature fluctuations, and limited access control.
There are also fears about the building’s proximity to major transport routes, raising security concerns for high-value pieces.
Approval still pending
Adding to the controversy, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) has confirmed that formal approval for the relocation is still under review in terms of national heritage legislation.
Environmental monitoring data — critical for ensuring stable storage conditions — has not yet been submitted, and key safety certifications, including fire compliance approvals, are still outstanding. Backup power systems, essential in a city affected by load shedding, have also not been installed at the temporary sites.
Despite this, the City maintains that preparations are ongoing and that systems such as climate control are being installed and tested.
Political and public backlash
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero initially received praise for committing R50 million to restore the iconic gallery, a landmark in Joubert Park that has suffered years of neglect.
However, critics now argue that prioritising relocation over restoration raises serious questions about the City’s spending priorities.
The Democratic Alliance has labelled the move a “reckless gamble” with Johannesburg’s cultural heritage, calling for the process to be halted until all facilities meet required standards.
Procurement and governance questions
Further concerns have been raised over how the refurbishment contract was awarded. Instead of issuing a heritage-specific tender, the City appointed a multidisciplinary consulting firm to oversee the project.
Heritage groups argue that this approach risks sidelining conservation priorities in a project involving one of Africa’s most significant public art collections.
Questions have also emerged around governance processes, including past international loans of artworks and whether proper oversight structures were consistently followed.
What happens next?
While some artworks have already been temporarily housed in other institutions, the majority of the collection remains at JAG, which itself is in urgent need of repair.
With relocation approval still pending and temporary facilities not yet fully compliant, uncertainty continues to surround the future of the collection.
As debates intensify, the situation highlights a broader challenge facing the City: balancing urgent infrastructure repairs with the responsibility of safeguarding Johannesburg’s cultural heritage.