Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here by Michael Waters MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng has written to the Public Protector to investigate possible maladministration within the Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics. This follows the department’s admission that it has failed to meet its own minimum standards for repairing traffic signals, despite an annual budget of more than R10 billion.
Every day, traffic signals remain non-operational, exposing motorists and pedestrians to potentially dangerous intersections. These failures can result in devastating road carnage.
This was revealed in written replies to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL)to the MEC for Roads and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela.
The MEC admitted that the department has failed to repair five high-risk intersections within its own targeted timeframe of one to seven days.
Shockingly, these traffic signals have been out of commission for extended periods, with some failures dating back to November 2024. The MEC confirmed the following:
• Great North Road (R23): Non-operational since November 2024.
• Atlas Road (M43): Non-operational since January 2025.
• 3rd Avenue (M32): Non-operational since March 2025.
• High Road (R23): Non-operational since November 2024.
• Pomona Road (R32): Non-operational since February 2025.
All five intersections have been classified as high-risk, meaning they should receive attention within 24 hours and repairs should be targeted for completion within seven days.
The MEC blames resource shortages and widespread theft and vandalism of traffic signals for failing to meet the seven-day repair standards.
While vandalism and theft are serious challenges, they cannot become a permanent excuse for the government’s failure to maintain essential road-safety infrastructure.
Even more concerning is the MEC’s admission that the department lacks a dedicated formal inspection programme focused on traffic signals that have been non-operational for extended periods.
This raises serious questions about the department’s maintenance planning, budget priorities, procurement processes, and monitoring of contractors.
Gauteng residents should not have to navigate dangerous intersections for months or years because a government department cannot manage its maintenance responsibilities even with a budget in place.
The DA demands accountability until Gauteng’s roads are safer for motorists and pedestrians.