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Joburg’s traffic lights and roads crisis a symptom of failed leadership and disrespect for residents

Wayne Duvenage
By Wayne Duvenage
21 Feb 2025
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Johannesburg, once a proud economic hub of Africa, is rapidly deteriorating under the weight of failing infrastructure, mismanagement and leadership that seems indifferent to the daily struggles of its residents. Nowhere is this decline more evident than on the city’s roads, where the Johannesburg Roads Agency has allowed critical infrastructure to crumble before our eyes.

Traffic lights in crisis


Johannesburg’s intersections are a daily gamble, with about 1,350 traffic lights across the city, of which al

most 80% fall under the control of the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and the 20% (about 300) supposedly managed by the Gauteng province. Shockingly, nearly 50% of the traffic lights across the city are malfunctioning. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience and has become a full-blown crisis, giving rise to traffic chaos, increased accidents, and productivity losses as thousands of hours are wasted in traffic jams.

The three main reasons for these failures are:

  1. Cable theft, whereby criminals strip the power supply to traffic lights, leaving them out of order for weeks or even months;

  2. Vandalism or controllers – the vital electronic brains of traffic lights – often stolen or wrecked by vagrants who seize the opportunity to become makeshift pointsmen and earn tips from passing motorists; and

  3. Knocked-over traffic lights, caused by vehicle accidents, which lie abandoned for weeks before being repaired or replaced.


Instead of treating this as a crisis, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) seems to accept it as the new normal. There is little urgency in addressing the rampant vandalism, and their failure to secure adequate stock to replace poles and traffic lights merely exacerbates the problem.

A simple short-term solution would be to significantly increase the number of trained pointsmen at intersections to manage traffic flow. Why has the CoJ not attended to the crisis in this manner by deploying more traffic marshals to keep the city moving? Their absence leaves frustrated motorists to fend for themselves in chaotic, dangerous intersections. A simple solution would be for the COJ to approach and pay OUTsurance to increase their pointsman teams, but one imagines this is a cost they can’t afford, so they will simply let the residents and businesses pick up the cost of lost time stuck in traffic.

A city losing its road markings and signs


Johannesburg’s road markings are fading into oblivion, a problem that extends far beyond mere aesthetics. Clear lane markings and road signs are essential for safe navigation, which is very essential in vehicle manufacturing whereby semi-autonomous vehicle technology relies on clear road markings and signs. 

Street signs that have been knocked down are often left unrepaired, and overgrown trees and vegetation frequently block critical signs, which is a serious safety and inconvenience for motorists. If the JRA cannot manage something as fundamental as maintaining road signs, what hope is there for larger, more complex infrastructure challenges?

Potholes and crumbling roads


Johannesburg’s roads resemble an obstacle course more than a functioning network. Potholes are multiplying at an alarming rate, incomplete repairs remain “taped-off” for months, while proper resurfacing and maintenance are virtually nonexistent. Motorists face a daily battle against these hazards, leading to thousands of rands in vehicle damage.

The JRA’s “quick-fix approach”, haphazardly filling potholes without addressing underlying structural issues, gives rise to the same potholes reappearing within weeks. Meanwhile, entire stretches of road continue to deteriorate, creating a snowball effect that will cost even more to repair in the long run.

Read more: Lights out in Joburg – thousands of traffic signals on the blink amid power cuts, budget blues and vandalism

Read more: Behind the blackouts — the real story of Joburg’s dysfunctional robots

The Lilian Ngoyi Street rehabilitation following the “explosion” almost two years ago is nowhere near completion, having paid millions of rands to Step Up Engineering who initially won the tender and failed to get the job done. A quick search of the directors of Step Up Engineering would have revealed that the same directors ran a company called Setho Engineering and that both companies have been awarded a number of contracts, some of which remain incomplete. This information suggests a connection between the two firms and raises concerns about their performance in fulfilling contractual obligations. 

This is more confirmation that CoJ and JRA management are incompetent when it comes to ensuring infrastructure projects follow strict protocols and due process.

Bridges on the brink of collapse


Adding to this grim picture is the state of Johannesburg’s bridges, many of which have been deemed unsafe and are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Cracks, rust and structural weaknesses are becoming increasingly evident, yet there seems to be no clear plan to ensure their long-term safety. The consequences of ignoring this issue could be catastrophic, yet the city’s leadership remains silent.

Leadership crisis at the JRA


These are not isolated problems. They are symptoms of a deeper crisis: inept leadership at the JRA and a city government that is out of touch with the needs of its people. They have appointed people who are unfit for positions, with a mindset that treats critical infrastructure failures and a lack of maintenance as minor inconveniences. Until the JRA is led by competent professionals who prioritise the repair and maintenance of our roads, traffic lights and bridges, the city will continue its downward spiral.

Johannesburg falls far short of its “World-Class African City” slogan, and if this city is to reclaim its former glory, it must start with the basics of fixing what is broken, holding leadership accountable and restoring infrastructure to a level that serves the people, not frustrates them. The longer we wait, the more we risk losing Johannesburg altogether. DM

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