The revised May 15 deadline for the Fairland gabions project has passed without the flood-protection works being completed.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) said the R17m project is 94% complete, but the contractor is currently off-site, and the remaining 6% of work has been temporarily halted because of contractual issues.

The agency has not provided a new completion date. The latest update comes after more than two months of follow-ups seeking clarity on the project’s progress.

JRA Head of Infrastructure Development Kwazelela Mcetywa said the outstanding work had been affected by contractual difficulties, while the city’s recent operational cash flow constraints had also temporarily affected payments to service providers.

Read more: Fairland residents fear unfinished gabions project collapse after contractors fail to return

“The project is at 94% completion. Currently, the 6% remaining scope of work has been temporarily halted due to contractual issues,” Mcetywa said.

He confirmed that the contractor is currently off-site after suspending works due to contractual issues.

Mcetywa acknowledged that the project’s completion has been impacted by the city’s recent operational cash flow constraints, which temporarily affected service provider disbursements.

The project was initially scheduled for completion in November 2025, following its launch in July 2025. Repeated interruptions, including heavy rainfall, scope adjustments and payment-related delays, pushed the completion date to May 15.

Mcetywa had previously attributed some of the delays to adverse weather conditions, while also acknowledging minor scope adjustments that required approval before implementation and delays in payments to the contractor. Despite the prolonged delays, the JRA said the project remains within its original budget, and no additional funding is necessary.

The agency said it is now working to resolve the contractual issues so that the contractor can return to site and the remaining work can resume.

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JRA said it has appointed a social facilitator to ensure that residents, stakeholders, community representatives and the ward councillor are regularly updated on the project’s progress and developments.

According to Mcetywa, the experience has highlighted the need to apply best practices in managing climate-related challenges and controlling environmental impacts on the ecosystem.

For residents, however, the immediate concern remains the unfinished 6% of the project and when construction will return to site. With the original November 2025 completion date now well behind, and the revised May 15 deadline also missed, the project carries on with no new completion date and its contractor temporarily off-site.

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