Johannesburg's deteriorating roads and failing bridges are in urgent need of a R10-billion capital boost and ringfenced municipal budgeting for resurfacing and repairs. According to Zweli Nyathi, CEO of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the city's damaged infrastructure poses a significant threat to public safety and the country's economic heart. Nyathi made these remarks during the Joburg Dialogues on 22 September 2026.
Nyathi stated that with a R10-billion budget, the JRA would be able to resurface 100 roads, fix between 15 and 20 bridges, rehabilitate stormwater infrastructure on roads, and resuscitate some of the city's 13,500km of roads. However, the JRA's budget for the current financial year is less than a quarter of the required amount, and the agency is battling a R144-billion infrastructure backlog. The JRA's capital expenditure budget, used to build new infrastructure, is only R570-million.
Nyathi attributed the poor state of the city's roads to the increasing number of heavy trucks on roads not designed for them. Since South Africa's rail network collapsed during the Covid pandemic, more and more heavy freight is being transported on roads, adding further stress to the already deteriorating infrastructure. He emphasized that industrial hubs should be located outside the city and that heavy trucks should have specific lanes, not coming into town.
The JRA CEO also stressed the need for a ringfenced budget, stating that it is "long overdue." He believes that the agency's budget should be judged on what it is given and what it is supposed to produce. Nyathi's sentiments were echoed by Precious Nduli, who oversees Discovery's Pothole Patrol, a partnership with the JRA that has resulted in fixes for more than 365,000 potholes in the city.
Nduli highlighted the critical importance of roads as infrastructure that drives the economy and saves lives. She noted that South Africa has the highest road fatality rate in the world, with 22 people out of 100,000 dying on its roads. Poor road conditions lead to accidents, and the cost of road accidents is 3% of GDP. The Pothole Patrol initiative, which started in 2021, aims to augment the capacity of the JRA.
Lunga Jacobs, a Transport Economics and Logistics lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, emphasized the importance of transport in the economy. He argued that competent experts in the transport field should be appointed and that there is a need for effective enforcement. Jacobs stated that the day municipalities were politicized is the day it went south, and people need to be held accountable from the highest to lowest levels.
The stakeholders' concerns and proposed solutions come as the city's infrastructure continues to deteriorate. Johannesburg's infrastructure is old, between 25 and 50 years, and the heavy congestion on its roads does not help. The city's roads and bridges require urgent attention to prevent further harm to the economy and public safety.
Key points
- The Johannesburg Roads Agency requires a R10-billion budget to fix the city's crumbling roads and bridges.
- The city's deteriorating infrastructure poses a significant threat to public safety and the country's economic heart.
- Effective enforcement and competent experts are needed to address the city's transport challenges.
