Metro accused of downplaying road deaths
Pedestrian deaths remain a reality on the roads around Balmoral College.
Scores of children from the school have been killed by speeding motorists over the past couple of years, and the school accuses the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality of doing nothing to prevent such incidents.
Allegations aimed at the metro suggests calls by the school to implement specific actions required to address safety has been ignored.
According to Sonti Meso, senior administrator at Balmoral College, the school management has been pleading with the metro for years to take measures that are effective in preventing road injuries and deaths on Wit Deep and Main Reef roads in Witfield.
The pupils specificially uses these roads to get to school.
But, to date, nothing has been done to make the road safer for pedestrians, including the children of the school.
“We have lost another learner to this dangerous road, and after many years of requesting for speed strips and a pedestrian crossing, nothing has been done,” says Meso.
A Grade 1 learner, Lesego Maleka (7) was struck by a car on Monday afternoon, February 24, while she was apparently crossing the road from the school, on her way home.
She was rushed to Natalspruit Hospital, but they did not have space for her, and she was then taken to Baragwanath Hospital, where she died on the following day.
“We as a school has again had to deal with the loss of a young life, and ask that action now be taken to protect our children.
“We have offered, that as a school, we will assist and have a scholar patrol, but without the necessary road signs and paint on the road for crossing and stopping, we cannot have a proper school patrol in place.”
According to Clr Hilary Coke, about 15 minutes before Lesego was knocked over, another child was trying to cross the street and was injured by a vehicle.
Another tragic incident happened in 2001 when a Balmoral College pupil (13) died on his way to school when the driver of a delivery van knocked him over in Witdeep Road during October.
Joshua Wium, principal of Balmoral College, said there have been more than 30 accidents over the past few years, involving children, around the premises of the school.
There have been six of the accidents involving children since 2010.
“We have approached council, but nothing has happened with our pleas. This is very upsetting. Such accidents could have been avoided if the metro had reacted to put up speed humps.
“We have about 710 children crossing Witdeep Road and about 1 000 children crossing Main Reef Road.”
One of the Jerusalem informal settlements community leaders, Mandla Mnisi says: “The problem is that the road has no speed humps or zebra crossings. We have tried, on numerous occasions to get something done, but the municipality haven’t heard our pleas,” said Mnisi.
Spokesperson for the Reiger Park SAPS, Sgt Mashudu Pathela, confirmed the recent fatality, and stated that a case of culpable homicide has been opened.
Phathela also urges the community to supervise their children when they cross the road, and ask that motorists obey the speed regulations.
