EDITORIAL | Joburg shouldn’t need help to fix potholes. That’s its job

Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo last week launched the Pothole Patrol, a campaign to manage the repair of potholes in the city. “We are confident that the launch of this initiative is a game-changer in resolving the scourge of potholes on our roads,” he announced with great fanfare. What he should have done, however, was to find a hole and hide in it out of shame. For this initiative is happening thanks to the support of two private insurance companies, Dialdirect and Discovery, and not because of the city of Joburg’s outstanding commitment to keep our roads pothole-free.

This happened as it came to light that the Johannesburg Road Agency’s grand plan to launch an app for residents to report potholes went on the road to nowhere. After spending a staggering R15m on the now defunct “Find&Fix” mobile application, it has also forked out R10m in damages to more than 300 motorists and businesses that had lodged claims for damages to their vehicles brought on by badly maintained roads. 

It should not be necessary for the private sector to step in and fund work that had already been paid for by taxpayers.

Now the JRA, in partnership with the Gauteng transport department, has launched the Smart Mobility Weekends project, worth R53m, aimed at revamping and maintaining the city’s roads. It has identified 51 priority areas where potholes need to be fixed, surfaces need to be scraped and signage needs to be replaced. JRA spokesperson Themba Mathibe warned that this R53m would not be enough to fix all the infrastructure problems. It’s an excuse that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. If the roads had been properly maintained from the start, there would have been much less fixing to do.

The Gauteng roads and transport department is supplying some of the materials and resources for the JRA project. This is, incidentally, the same department that underspent a round R637.2m in the 2019/2020 financial year, according to annual reports presented to the provincial legislature earlier this year. It’s criminal.

Now private companies have again stepped in to help local government do its job. It’s not the first time either. Head of Dialdirect Insurance Anneli Retief said: “After 10 years, we’re back and once again are ready to help solve the backlog of potholes.” It’s not only Discovery and Dialdirect helping with government functions. Outsurance pointsmen took to Joburg streets again in January to help with the flow of traffic. The non-governmental organisation Gift of the Givers is often in the news for supplying water — a basic right and an essential service — to areas where water services are lacking. 

The private companies are certainly not doing it for charity — they get great publicity out of the campaigns. But it should not be necessary for the private sector to step in and fund work that had already been paid for by taxpayers. The Joburg mayor made the astounding remark at the launch of the Pothole Patrol that the private sector support was “the boost we need to fix road infrastructure in the city”. So our ANC government needs a boost from outside to perform its core functions. Let’s see how this attitude will “boost” its support in upcoming local government elections.