Child’s death brings road traffic concerns to forefront again
Community leaders in Jerusalem informal settlement near Balmoral College, say the recent death of the Grade One learner, Lesego Maleka (7), who was struck by a car on Wit Deep Road, has prompted them to take action to prevent further accidents.
Community leader Mandla Mnisi says as community leaders they have been concerned with cars speeding and striking pedestrian including school children crossing the road to get to the nearby school for years.
“We are frustrated by the repeated road deaths involving members of our community, mostly children crossing the roads to get to the nearby school,” says Mnisi.
Residents say they are prepared to take this as far as it needs to find their solution.
They vowed that they will do whatever it takes to fix this problem.
“We have had a number of discussions with the school management, and asked them to apply for the installation of pedestrian crossings as well as road safety signs to warn road users that they are approaching a school. But nothing has happened.
“We have had enough of the speeding drivers, and this time we are planning to approach the municipality and ask for the problem to be fixed without delays,” states Mnisi.
According to another resident of the area, Gloria Ramasunzi, who runs a pre-school in the informal settlement, a number of people from the nearby informal settlements including school children were injured.
“Due to the lack of road safety signs around the area, people are being killed and injured by speeding cars while crossing the roads from the informal settlement to the nearby railway line stations, Witfield Shopping Centre, as well as the children going to the nearby schools.”
Ramasunzi expressed disbelief that authorities were unaware of the problems, and says vocal residents had made complaints to the metro police and council about people speeding along the area.
Ramasunzi says she also hopes to see these issues addressed in the near future.
