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ASIDE from the controversial e-tolling of Gauteng’s major roads, another election flashpoint for the governing African National Congress (ANC) is likely to be the plugging of 13,000 potholes on Johannesburg’s roads. Speaking on Monday in Soweto during the state of the city address, the last before the May 7 general elections, Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau said plans were afoot to transform the city’s road infrastructure.

On Sunday, the ANC’s ward 103 branch in Sandton held a public meeting with the Johannesburg Roads Agency in a bid to explain to residents what steps the agency was taking to repair broken roads and traffic signals. The opposition has mounted a vigorous campaign to wrest control of Gauteng province from the ANC. Pundits anticipate that discontent with e-tolling will dent the ANC’s electoral support.

An efficient road infrastructure is crucial to alleviating traffic congestion, lowering the cost of doing business and attracting investment. However, recent heavy rainfall in Gauteng damaged road infrastructure in parts of Johannesburg, including Soweto, Lenasia, Roodepoort, Midrand and Florida.

Last year, INR 1.8bn was set aside to upgrade road infrastructure, with a focus on the M1 and M2 highways and major arteries serving commercial hubs such as Sandton and Rosebank.

Mr Tau said on Monday that in the process of repairing and upgrading Johannesburg’s road network, new measures would be introduced "to improve the user experience on our roads through modernising and deploying technology to keep traffic signals operational".

"We are improving the riding quality of the roads in the city, thus increasing mobility and reducing accident risk." But the Democratic Alliance leader in Johannesburg and the party’s Gauteng premier candidate, Mmusi Maimane, said Mr Tau "seemed more focused on electioneering rather than speaking to the real concerns of Joburg residents". Mr Maimane also said residents lost business time every day "due to the pandemic of traffic lights not working".

"Every day, time doing business is lost because it takes too long to move around Joburg," he said. Earlier this year, the city released an unqualified report of its finances, compiled by the auditor-general.

"This was the strongest indication yet, that our governance is in good shape and that this is indeed a well-run city which adheres to the highest standards of corporate governance and financial controls," said Mr Tau. Both Fitch and Moody rating agencies retained their positive investment rating of Johannesburg during the past year. Mr Tau said Johannesburg was expected to increase its capital expenditure to more than INR 10bn, with more money spent on green projects, transport, road infrastructure, internet access and re-engineering spatial transformation.

He said capital expenditure in this administration had moved from INR 3.9bn in 2011 and would reach INR 10.9bn in the next financial year. Mr Tau also said that the council would follow in Tshwane’s steps by rolling out 1,000 free Wi-Fi spots of its own by the end of the mayoral term in 2016.

He unveiled a new Wi-Fi centre at the Orlando Community Hall and Orlando Stadium, saying Wi-Fi spots had also gone live at 10 other sites on Monday, including Park Station, Noordgesig, Joburg Theatre and the Carlton Centre. The city has spent R1bn rolling out the broadband network.

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