A Bumpy Ride: The Fight Over Who’s Fixing Johannesburg’s Fractured Streets

In the ongoing saga of Johannesburg’s crumbling road network, Ward 94 has become the latest flashpoint. The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) is pushing back strongly against claims of neglect, after local councillor David Foley raised the alarm over persistent, dangerous potholes and what he describes as eight months of unanswered service requests.

The dispute lays bare the tension between municipal service delivery promises and the daily reality experienced by residents. Councillor Foley points to specific, heavily burdened routes like Robert Bruce, Fountain, Riverside, and Marlbarton roadsoriginally farm lanes now straining under the weight of new suburban developmentsas evidence of systemic failure.

The JRA’s Defence: Sinkholes, Summits, and Weather

JRA’s head of regional operations, Khaya Gqibitole, rejects the neglect narrative outright. “Ward 94 has not been neglected at any point,” he insists, pointing to completed work, notably the repair of sinkholes. He acknowledges that Region A, which includes the ward, was impacted by resource diversions for the G20 summit preparations earlier this year due to Lanseria Airport’s location. However, he states all teams are now “fully operational” and tackling the backlog.

On the critical question of permanent fixes for the failing roads, Gqibitole cites an unfavourable weather as a slowing factor for planned maintenance. Meanwhile, Foley has criticized temporary sand-filling of potholes as unsafe and unsustainablea practice the JRA says it’s working to move away from to address safety risks.

The Deeper Issue: Developer Funds and Who They Benefit

A more complex layer involves developer contributions. Foley questions why kerbing, walkways, and bulk services, allegedly paid for by developers, were never implemented in the ward. The JRA’s response, via its acting head of infrastructure planning, Mpho Maruping, clarifies a contentious point: these levies are not site-specific. The funds are pooled and used for upgrades across Johannesburg “where a specific service needs to be upgraded,” not necessarily in the immediate area where the development occurred.

This explanation is unlikely to satisfy residents navigating poor pedestrian infrastructure next to new housing estates.

A Stalemate on Asphalt

The standoff represents a classic Johannesburg impasse: a community feeling ignored, a councillor amplifying their frustration, and a city agency pointing to completed work while blaming external factors for delays on larger projects. For the people of Ward 94, the debate is less about bureaucratic explanations and more about the tangible, jarring experience of driving on deteriorating roads every day.

The JRA says it’s working on it. Councillor Foley says it’s not enough. Until the potholes are permanently sealed and the aging roads rebuilt, the residents are stuck in the middle, navigating the literal and political bumps on their path to a smoother ride.

{Source: Citizen} 

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