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Johannesburg Mayor Addresses Water, Traffic, and Infrastructure Challenges
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has highlighted vandalism and infrastructure damage as some of the city’s biggest challenges. During an update on Wednesday, he outlined efforts to tackle water shortages, traffic signal failures, and potholes that continue to affect residents.
Our unified leadership has been actively addressing the challenges facing our city. pic.twitter.com/s9MlitgKoy
— Executive Mayor of the City Of Joburg (@DadaMorero) March 26, 2025
Morero assured residents that Johannesburg does not have a water shortage but rather faces infrastructure-related challenges, mainly due to leaks.
“In engagement with the national water department, it has become clear that there is no shortage of water. The challenges we have are infrastructure-related due to leaks,” Morero stated.
To address the issue, Johannesburg Water has deployed 125 leak noise loggers in Randburg and Roodepoort and plans to install 400 more by June 2025. Additionally, the city is focusing on pressure management to reduce water loss and improve distribution.
“As of December 2024, about 12 pressure-reducing valves were fitted with smart controllers, with 27 already installed,” he added.
For informal settlements, the city will continue providing stationary and roaming water tankers to ensure residents have access to water. However, Morero warned that illegal connections will not be tolerated, and disconnection efforts will be intensified.
In November 2024, the Department of Water and Sanitation revealed that approximately 46% of the city’s water supply is lost due to leaks and illegal connections.
Also Read: 12-Year Water Crisis in Lekwa Municipality: Residents Left Without Clean Water
Many intersections in Johannesburg have either non-functional or missing traffic lights, largely due to vandalism. The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) manages 2,023 signalized intersections, including 251 under the Gauteng provincial government.
“The city faces significant challenges in maintaining these intersections due to vandalism and theft. A total of 194 intersections have been affected in Johannesburg, while 60 provincial intersections require reconstruction,” Morero explained.
Repairs are underway, with JRA prioritizing key economic nodes and major roads such as Malibongwe, Witkoppen, Winnie Mandela, Ontdekkers, and Hendrik Potgieter.
“As of March 4, 99 intersections were impacted by power outages, with 50 affected by City Power and 49 by Eskom. JRA is working with both entities to resolve these issues. The theft of copper wiring further complicates efforts to restore power to traffic signals,” he added.
The mayor noted that progress is being made, with 35 major intersections already repaired.
Also Read: Johannesburg’s Water Crisis: Infrastructure Neglect and Budget Mismanagement
Potholes remain a major concern in the city, with recent heavy rains worsening the situation.
“The intensity of the rain over the last three weeks has slowed down our efforts to fix potholes. However, we have strengthened our in-house production capacity through our asphalt plant to accelerate repairs and maintenance,” Morero stated.
The city continues to face mounting infrastructure challenges, but authorities are working to address them while urging residents to report vandalism and illegal activities.
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Sourced:The Citizen
