JRA moves Lilian Ngoyi rebuild deadline after Zille goes quad biking [VIDEO]

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has pushed back the deadline for the completion of phase two of the Lillian Ngoyi Road refurbishment. The initial deadline was set for the end of August, but "recent operational cash-flow constraints" forced a postponement. JRA announced on Friday that the new deadline would be the end of October. The JRA stated that the project is currently 72% complete, contingent on the timely payment of service providers.

Phase one of the project, which involved rebuilding service tunnels under Bree Street, was finished in September 2025. Phase two includes additional stormwater infrastructure, sidewalks, and the road surface between Ntemi Piliso and End streets. Work on phase one was expected to be completed by October, after which bus stops, street furniture, and landscaping would be installed.

JRA CEO Zweli Nyathi assured road users, residents, and businesses that the project would remain on track without further delays beyond October 2026. However, DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille visited the construction site with her team in a quad bike, dressed in her usual blue overalls, and expressed skepticism about the timing of the announcement. Zille posted on social media, questioning whether this was incompetence or deliberate sabotage.