MMC Kenny Kunene backs bigger JRA workforce to tackle Johannesburg’s ageing roads across Region B
Kunene says restoring the city’s ageing roads depends on rebuilding JRA's workforce and investing in long-term maintenance.
Johannesburg Roads and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene said expanding the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s (JRA) workforce is the only sustainable way to address the city’s ageing road network and growing maintenance backlog across the region.
Speaking during Operation Restore in Newlands, Kunene said the city’s road infrastructure, particularly in Region B, has deteriorated over decades because routine maintenance has been replaced by emergency repairs.
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He said many roads are reaching the end of their lifespan, while blocked stormwater infrastructure and water flowing over road surfaces continue to accelerate deterioration.
“JRA was supposed to be a maintenance entity, but because of limited human resources, it now responds to emergencies. We keep going back to repair the same potholes and unblock the same stormwater drains because we don’t have enough people to do preventative maintenance.”
Kunene said JRA teams have shrunk dramatically over the past three decades, making it increasingly difficult to maintain roads before they fail.
To address the problem, he proposed expanding the agency’s workforce by commercialising JRA’s asphalt plant, allowing it to produce asphalt not only for Johannesburg but also for other municipalities, provincial government and the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral).
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“We can generate revenue, employ young people, men and women, in every ward, strengthen our depots and increase maintenance teams to between 25 and 30 people. That is the only long-term solution to maintaining our road infrastructure.”
Kunene acknowledged that funding remains the biggest obstacle to implementing the plan, but said JRA has already developed proposals to expand staffing levels while improving road maintenance across the city. He added that restoring the city’s roads requires moving away from reactive repairs towards consistent maintenance, ensuring infrastructure is preserved before it reaches the crisis point.
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