Major traffic disruptions expected ahead of Gauteng SOPA

Major traffic disruptions are expected in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday, with the State of the Province Address (SOPA) and a planned march by uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party that will pass through the N1 highway.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi will deliver his fourth SOPA on Monday, officially opening the provincial legislature for this year.

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) said it will be implementing road closures and traffic access controls on the Golden Highway and roads near the Nasrec Expo Centre, where the SOPA will be held.

"The event is expected to cause traffic disruptions in the vicinity between 1pm and 11pm. Affected routes include Rand Show Road, Nasrec Road, Landbou Road, Recreation Road, Commerce Street, Golden Highway and Soweto Highway," said JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla.

At the same time, the MK Party says it will be marching from Devland, Soweto, through the N1 highway to the Nasrec Expo Centre.

The party’s regional spokesperson, Mthunzi Luthuli, said they are protesting the many "empty promises" Lesufi made in his past SOPAs.

"You will recall that Premier Panyaza, last year, he identified 13 problem areas that he himself admitted that those were governance failures and if they do not solve those problems then they would not be worthy of being called a government. If you look at those 13 things and what has happened now, they haven’t even begun to address those issues."