The M1 Johannesburg protest by South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) members saw the freeway closed in both directions at Smit Street on Monday, 26 October 2026, with severe congestion between Braamfontein and the CBD.
According to EWN, SAMWU members protested over a wage dispute, and the M1 was closed in both directions at Smit Street, the stretch between Braamfontein and the Johannesburg CBD. Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers were deployed to manage traffic as the closure caused severe congestion and delays along the M1 corridor.
How has the M1 Johannesburg protest affected traffic?
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla advised motorists on how to approach the diversions put in place around the closure, while officers worked to keep traffic moving along the M1 corridor and the surrounding roads. He said:
Motorists are advised to approach all diversions with caution and obey instructions given by traffic officers on the scene.
Fihla also told motorists to plan for longer journeys across Johannesburg during the closure, where the M1 is one of the main routes between the northern suburbs, the CBD and the south of the city. He added:
Expect significant delays during peak travel hours and allow for extra travel time.
The Smit Street section of the M1 sits in Braamfontein, the precinct on the edge of the Johannesburg CBD that is home to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). The closure applied to the freeway in both directions, northbound and southbound.
Motorists faced a second disruption south of the city when a protest at Nana’s Farm closed the N12 near Lenasia. Separately, protests over proposed fee increases for 2027 disrupted examinations at the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park campus.
What is behind the M1 Johannesburg protest?
The dispute centres on a R10.3 billion wage agreement between the City of Johannesburg and SAMWU, finalised in 2025 to correct pay disparities dating back to 1995. The union has about 23 000 members in the city, and the increases were due to be paid in batches from 2026.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has called the deal unaffordable and halted its implementation, saying it endangers the city’s finances. SAMWU regional leader Lebogang Ndawo said in May that the union did not believe the deal had been halted.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) sought an urgent interdict against the agreement in March 2026, and SAMWU workers protested outside the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. In late March 2026, a court ruling cleared the way for the agreement.
Mayor Dada Morero said in July that the city could not pay the amount due that month immediately and was negotiating a deferred payment with labour and management, adding that the city would honour the agreement.
A similar standoff played out on Thursday, 22 August 2024, when about 10 000 SAMWU members blocked both directions of the M1 at Smit Street in Braamfontein and the M2 in Selby over unresolved wage issues, forcing diversions at Empire Road and Booysens Road.
Sources
- EWN, M1 closed at Smit Street amid municipal worker wage dispute
- EWN, City of Joburg commits to honour R10bn wage agreement with SAMWU
- EWN, N12 freeway near Lenasia in final stages of re-opening after protest
- EWN, UJ campus protests turn destructive as exams disrupted
- Sowetan, SAMWU threatens strike action amid R10bn Joburg wage deal impasse
- The Star, Joburg comes to a halt as workers protest the DA's attempt to stop a R10 billion salary deal
- IOL, Joburg court ruling clears the way for R10 billion worker agreement
- Swisher Post, M1 and M2 highway shutdown: Here are the latest updates
