Residents protest against speeding

Residents held a peaceful protest on the morning of 23 July in the hope that the local municipality would hear their cries and intervene by erecting speed humps in a busy road in this township.

This comes after a vehicle almost plunged into the houses of both Welheminah Khunoana and her immediate neighbours on Sunday 21 July when the driver lost control after allegedly speeding on Kagiso Avenue.

During the protest a section of the road was impassable while tyres, mattrasses, rubble and other objects were being burnt.

“We are fed up with the number of accidents and deaths on this road and request Mogale City Local Municipality to do something about it,” says Gopolang Shomang who lives in this street.

He and many other protesters argued that erecting speed humps will eradicate the problem of speeding motorists.

“We want each block to have at least three speed humps. If the municipality does not answer our plea we will dig up the street and become violent,” one protester commented. “As you can see we are peaceful at this stage.”

He says that in a period of a month six people were knocked down on this road, four of whom have died due to their injuries.

Ben Makunga says he witnessed how a speeding taxi skipped a red traffic light about three weeks ago, knocking over two people.

“We want sufficient speed humps in this street, otherwise we are not going to be satisfied as this street is not safe and motorists can easily drive into other people’s homes.”

On Sunday the speeding vehicle damaged Khunoana’s gate and left her in a state of shock.

“When I heard the noise all I could think of was my children – luckily the vehicle did not cause any damage to my house and my children are safe.”

Jeff Daniel from the People’s Civic Organisation (PCO) says that the organisation is supporting the frustrated and concerned people in their demands for speed humps on Kagiso Avenue.

“Numerous people have died on this road, and letters and memorandums submitted by concerned members of the community seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

“We are therefore saying: enough is enough!”

Nkosana Zali, spokesperson for Mogale City Local Municipality was on the scene and says that they were in the process of erecting speed humps.

“The Municipality is deeply concerned about the destruction of property that accompanied the protest for speed calming measures at Kagiso in the past two
days.

“The community rose up to demand that the municipality fast-track construction of speed calming measures on Kagiso Avenue. The municipality had already started with roll-out of these in the section of Kagiso where this accident occurred, and it is unfortunate that it happened when we were on the  verge of reaching that part of the township.

“We had already put up stop signs on this street (i.e. next to Kagiso Mall); pedestrian crossings at its T-junction  with Senzangakhona Drive as well as next to Phenyo Supermarket; and we were left with building speed humps across the entire road.

“The accident is regrettable and we are, however, grateful that there was no loss of life this time around. But, having started on construction of speed humps last week, we will ensure that other speed calming measures are deployed to ensure smooth flow  of traffic on this busy road that connects the western Chamdor Industrial Park with other urban centres,” says Zali.

While the NEWS was on the scene municipal workers were cleaning up the mess caused by the protesters and the spots where the speed humps will be erected, were being marked.