Recent fatal crashes in Johannesburg have brought to light the crumbling infrastructure of the city. A motorbike driver who was delivering goods on Blandford Road, North Riding, died in a fatal accident on 31 March 2025 after colliding with a vehicle that had slowed to avoid a pothole. The accident has heightened public concern over the condition of Johannesburg’s roads, especially after it was revealed that City of Joburg workers claimed R946 million in overtime for the financial year 2023/24.
Many have questioned the city’s financial priorities due to the juxtaposition between failing infrastructure and exploding wage costs.
A Preventable Tragic
According to eyewitnesses, the accident happened when the delivery motorcycle slammed against a vehicle which had braked abruptly in order to avoid a huge pothole. Ward 101 councillor Ralf Bitzkau has expressed his frustration at the Johannesburg Roads Agency, which he believes has not acted on numerous pothole complaints.
We have been waiting on JRA to reach our area for weeks. This accident could’ve been avoided. “People are dying because the city is negligent about the roads that we travel on”, said Bittkau.
Johannesburg residents are still navigating pothole-ridden roads that pose a serious risk to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
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Johannesburg’s Pothole Epidemic
The data from the Johannesburg Roads Agency presents a bleak picture. The agency reported over 4,288 holes in the city alone in February 2025, which reflects years of underinvestment and poor upkeep.
Johannesburg is not the only city with this problem. The municipality of Emfuleni in the nearby area recently announced that it would need R500 million for pothole damage. Residents were urged to settle municipal accounts in order for critical infrastructure works to proceed.
The state of our road is a result of years of neglect. “Municipalities need constant revenue to prioritize these projects,” stated a spokesperson for the South African Local Government Association
What is the cause of A Billion Rands in Overtime?
City of Johannesburg employees reportedly earn hundreds of millions of Rands per year in overtime. At a recent meeting of the council, it was revealed that the city had paid R946m in overtime during the last financial period.
This number has shocked the ratepayers and raised questions regarding internal management and accountability. The opposition parties and civil society groups have called for an independent audit of the overtime payments.
It is unfathomable that such a high amount of overtime could be paid while service delivery has deteriorated. Belinda Kayser Echeozonjoku is the leader of the DA Johannesburg caucus.
Legal and Financial Consequences
In addition to causing fatalities and injuries on roads, this is also a financial and legal burden for municipalities. The South Gauteng High Court handed down a landmark decision ordering the City of Ekurhuleni, which was responsible for the death of Marius Christiaan Botes in 2010, to pay R751,000 as compensation to his family.
The court ruled that the municipality failed to meet its duty of maintaining safe roads. This set a precedent for any future claims related to injuries and pothole damage.
Experts weigh in
Urban infrastructure expert Dr. Sipho Matlala of the University of Pretoria warns of the danger of a worsening mismatch between expenditure and service delivery if checks and balances do not take place.
It’s about institutional accountability. It is not possible for a city to pay out R1 billion on overtime and have no improvements in infrastructure or services. The public perception is that mismanagement exists,” Dr. Matlala said to Gauteng News.
The economist Thandeka Mnguni has also highlighted the impact of long-term economic impacts:
When roads degrade, they not only increase the risk of death, but also disrupt commerce and drive up logistics costs. This is not just about potholes; it’s a serious economic problem.
Reform and Transparency: Calls for Reform
Organisations of civil society and ratepayer’s associations call for greater oversight over municipal budgets and performance. Residents are being urged to use the JRA’s Find & Fix App to report potholes, but many complain of long waiting times for repairs.
Municipal spokespersons maintain, however, that the high overtime numbers are justified by limited budgets and a high demand for labour. The disconnect between the amount of money spent and the results delivered is still very concerning.
A city at a crossroads
Johannesburg is at a crucial juncture. A tragic death due to a road pothole and nearly R1 billion of overtime claims highlight the urgent need for transparent governance, efficiency, and prioritisation.
To restore public trust, officials in Johannesburg must be held to account, budgets must be scrutinised and every dollar must go towards tangible improvements for residents.
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