The fight for a second entrance in Mayibuye is no longer just a community grievance; it is now a legal battle unfolding before the judiciary.

The Mayibuye community and the Midrand Industrial Park’s long-running dispute over road access heads to the Johannesburg High Court on March 5. The conflict centres on Theresa Street in Mayibuye and whether it should be linked to Mastiff Road, which runs through the industrial park.

Community members, led by the Mayibuye Youth Activism Movement, claim the park is refusing to allow the connection, leaving residents with only a single entry and exit point to the township for more than two decades.

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The industrial park’s board has indicated that, as the matter is now before the court, all correspondence must be directed through its attorneys.

According to the movement, when Mayibuye was established in the 1990s, an agreement was allegedly reached between the industrial park and the government to close off the road link. However, residents argue they were never consulted nor made aware of the merits of that agreement, and are now formally challenging it.

Movement secretary Thapelo Nkoane said the arrangement has become increasingly unsustainable as the community has grown. “Now that the population of our community has increased, this agreement has proven to be detrimental to the community of Mayibuye. Mayibuye has used a single exit and entrance for over 20 years.”

He said the community held three meetings with the park’s board, describing the engagements as unfruitful. “We even asked for a temporary opening of Mastiff Road, in case there’s a traffic jam at Modderfontein Road during peak hours.”

Residents argue that access to Mastiff Road would ease severe congestion, particularly during peak traffic periods and funeral processions travelling to Waterfall Cemetery. “If the road gets opened, it will relieve Mayibuye from the stress of experiencing constant traffic jams. Our people will easily get to work without traffic hurdles. Our social well-being will also improve with the convenience of having another entrance.”

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Nkoane said that, in discussions with the park’s board, security concerns were cited as the primary reason for denying access, with fears that criminal activity could increase within the industrial area.

As a compromise, the community proposed joint security measures, including deploying its community patrol structures to mitigate potential crime. The proposal was reportedly rejected. “We only had meetings with them. We never submitted any petitions. Upon our planning of a legal march, we were given a court interdict.”

The movement is now set to appear in court on March 5. An anonymous source within the industrial park disputed claims that Theresa Street and Mastiff Road were ever directly linked.

The Midrand Industrial Park board stated that it would respond to the allegations through its legal representatives, given that the matter is sub judice.

Midrand Reporter contacted the Gauteng department of roads and transport and the Johannesburg Roads Agency for comment on whether the roads were previously connected and what interventions may be available to address traffic congestion in the area.

This is a developing story.

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