WATCH: JRA condemns destruction and theft of traffic lights infrastructure

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has condemned the destruction and theft of public infrastructure and traffic lights.

This comes after the JRA posted a video of a criminals apparently brazenly stealing cables from a traffic light, with no concern about who was watching them.

In the video, one suspect can be seen chopping the wires of a traffic light that was lying on the ground, while another suspect swirls the robot around, seemingly to rip it out of the ground before stealing the cables.

It is unclear of where the footage was taken.

The suspects than casually leave the scene with their loot.

In a series of tweets, the JRA said its CEO had watched with shock and anger at how the traffic signals Infrastructure was being vandalized.

“This is pure criminality and it cannot be allowed to continue. We call on law enforcement agencies and community policing forums from the various regions of the city to support us and help stamp out this scourge of brutal criminality and theft of expensive city assets.”

“Our MMC is also seized with assisting with some measures to address this matter at his level so that there’s a coordinated effort around the city. We cannot be allowing this lawlessness and destruction of property to go unpunished,” the JRA tweeted.

The JRA has also urged Twitter users to refrain from hurling profanities against them after one user asked: “When are you sons of b*****s going to attend to the potholes on Tamboti Road in Midrand? It’s literally been months.”

The JRA responded with a caution.

“Hi, please refrain from using swear words and offensive language on this page, it’ll not be tolerated. Should such comments continue, we will without hesitation, block you from this page.”

Earlier this month, the JRA said it will no longer install, repair and maintain traffic signals on behalf of the provincial department in Gauteng after the duo could not reach consensus on a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that would have seen the agency continue to actively maintain and repair 231 signalised intersections on provincial roads across the City of Johannesburg.

ALSO READ: A list of all traffic lights that are currently out of order in Joburg