City Power and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) are under growing scrutiny as Johannesburg’s northern suburbs plunge into urban decay, with dozens of traffic lights and streetlights lying in ruin. Areas like Cosmo City, Zandspruit, and Randburg are increasingly defined by darkness and gridlock, as authorities face mounting criticism over their failure to maintain vital infrastructure
A City in Disrepair
Over 20 traffic lights are reportedly out of service, nearly 20 others vandalised, and close to 30 streetlights damaged, non-functional, or stolen in Johannesburg North. Site visits by IOL News confirm what many residents already know too well—there are no visible signs of repairs, and the city’s infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating.
At the congested intersection of Malibongwe Drive and South Africa Drive near Cosmo City Mall, 12 traffic signals are currently not working. With no officials present to manage the chaos, informal pointsmen have taken over traffic control.
Sipho Maseko, a resident from Cosmo City’s Extension 7, has been directing traffic voluntarily.
“This road gets extremely busy, especially in the evenings. There are no JMPD officers here, so I decided to help out,” said Maseko, who also relies on begging to survive. He admitted he has no formal training but stepped up out of desperation.
Authorities Cite Vandalism and Power Outages
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) attributes the ongoing traffic light failures to a mixture of vandalism, weather conditions, and electrical disruptions.
Superintendent Xolani Fihla explained, “We experience severe congestion during peak hours due to these outages. The JMPD Chief has now mandated officers to be on duty at major intersections during morning and afternoon rush hours.”
However, Fihla acknowledged that officers cannot be stationed at every intersection. Some routes are now monitored by Traffic Free Flow—a private initiative funded by insurers—but this prioritisation leaves many secondary roads unmanaged.
The JMPD also discouraged drivers from giving money to informal pointsmen, warning it may incentivise tampering with lights and further endanger those directing traffic.
Public Frustration Boils Over
In Randburg, especially near the Jan Smuts Avenue taxi rank, multiple traffic lights are either missing or broken. Zandspruit, too, is suffering. At the Marina Street and Beyers Naudé Drive junction, six traffic lights have reportedly been removed or destroyed—allegedly due to vandalism and illegal electrical connections.
Midah Mzobe, a Honeydew resident, said she’s reported the issues repeatedly, but to no avail.
“Some of these lights haven’t worked in over five years. It feels like the city doesn’t care,” she said.
JRA Pushes Back, Says Repairs Underway
Esther Schmidt, acting head of the city’s Mobility and Freight Department, denied claims that the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) is neglecting the problem.
“We’ve made substantial progress, especially as many of these intersections were recently taken over from provincial control,” she said. “However, theft and vandalism remain significant obstacles.”
Of the 2,264 signalised intersections across the metro, around 75% are currently operational. Schmidt revealed that more than 60% of non-functional traffic lights are out due to theft or vandalism. Repair efforts are active, but the city needs roughly R100 million to fully restore the system.
The JRA also spends approximately R10 million annually fixing damage caused by vehicle accidents, adding to the financial strain.
Streetlights: Another Major Casualty
It’s not just traffic signals failing. Streetlights in affected areas are either stolen, destroyed, or simply not functioning. In Cosmo City, several units along South Africa Drive have been vandalised or are completely missing, including five near Meridian High School. In Zandspruit, similar patterns are emerging with widespread outages and theft.
City Power, which manages nearly 300,000 streetlights, says about 15% are currently not functioning.
“Infrastructure sabotage has spiked in high-risk areas like Zandspruit and Cosmo City,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. “This not only disrupts service delivery but also compromises community safety.”
City Power’s data shows the biggest contributors to outages include theft of cables and poles, illegal electricity connections, and storm damage. The utility is attempting to mitigate the crisis by introducing solar lighting and remote monitoring technology. Three solar-powered high masts have already been installed in Zandspruit and Malibongwe Ridge, despite each costing up to R620,000.
Mangena added that although repair crews are dispatched daily, vandalism often reverses their progress within days. Material shortages also delay the restoration of stolen or destroyed infrastructure.
“We’ve improved our response times and are transitioning to more sustainable and resilient lighting systems, including LED and solar. But the community must assist by reporting criminal activity,” he said.
The Way Forward?
While officials from both JRA and City Power insist progress is being made, residents on the ground remain skeptical. In the absence of consistent maintenance and visible repairs, communities are left to fend for themselves—directing traffic, dodging accidents, and navigating through dark, crime-prone streets.
As Johannesburg battles to keep its infrastructure intact, one thing remains clear: without urgent intervention and improved accountability, the city’s decay will only deepen.
To report infrastructure faults or suspicious activity, residents are urged to contact:
- City of Johannesburg Emergency Line: 011 375 5911 / 0800 002 587
- City Power Security Risk Management: 011 490 7900 / 7911
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