Child killed on bridge
A Grade 7 learner of Marifaan Primary School, outside Lydenburg, was fatally injured by a motorist on Monday June 13, just before 07:00.
He was attempting the cross the bridge over the R37 on the Burgerfort/Lydenburg Road from his home in Mashishing to get to school in Skhila. He was hit by a VW Polo while attempting to cross the bridge and was declared dead on the scene.
The community is outraged, as there are no traffic signs to indicate that there are pedestrians and children crossing the bridge, or that motorists must slow down.
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“Just after the accident on Monday morning, I stopped at the scene to see if I can be of assistance. I was extremely upset to find that a child had been killed. We moved to Lydenburg in 2020 and live on the Frischgewaagd/Mosterthoek Road (D2571). The D2571 starts at about 1km from the bridge. Since then, I have been trying to help the community to arrange signs from the Department of Public Works. The community members are very worried about their children walking over the R37 to reach their schools. There are no temporary signs indicating the correct speed limits, no lines or speed bumps or any zebra crossing, or any other demarcated area for pedestrians to safely cross this road,” said Emma Düring, a Mosterthoek resident and Lydenburg business owner.
Düring is also involved in the emergency repairs of the D2571, which has been destroyed by heavy vehicles using this road, which has a weight restriction of 12t.
She is in agreement with suggestions by authorities that a pedestrian bridge over the R37 and a paved pedestrian walking path would be part of the long-term solution, as well as installing the proper signage in the short term.
In response to these fatal accidents, the Njabulo Caregivers in Skhila donned reflector jackets to assist learners to safely cross the road on Tuesday June 21, from the Mashishing area to the Skhila area.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News reported on Monday evening that some community members had blocked the D2571 with burning tyres. This was in reaction to the boy being killed on it.
“Children who live in Mashishing, Marikana and Mosterthoek areas cross the road with heavy traffic that does not slow down for anything. We hope that the traffic department or the provincial traffic officers will come and help us in the mornings before school. We hope discussions with them during the week will lead to results,” said Thandiwe Gwebu of the Injabulo Caregivers.
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Sonja Boshoff, a DA member of parliament, said they are saddened by the death of the learner.”This accident is a clear indication that our learners are exposed to many dangerous elements such as the crossing on provincial roads to get to their respective schools. We, therefore, call upon the MECs for education and roads and transport respectively to engage with each other to see how this matter can be addressed to ensure no more lives are lost. One life lost is one too many. It would be of great assistance if the Mpumalanga Department of Education could look into the possibility of a proper crossing for these learners who walk from the nearby Mashishing, and for the Department of Roads and Transport to bring about the necessary signage requesting road users to slow down as there are children crossing the road. I would like to extend my sympathy to the family of the deceased.” Steelburger/Lydenburg News reached out to the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Department of Public Works and the South African National Road Agency for comment.
No feedback was received on possible solutions by the time going to press.
