The Shakaskraal community is outraged by the behaviour of drivers and the high number of vehicle accidents on the R102 road through the town.
Last Wednesday 76-year-old Wynand Marais from Rietvlei Farm outside Shakaskraal, was knocked down and killed by a tow truck as he tried to cross the road.
His wife Natalie said Wynand parked his red van opposite the Shell garage and went to fill up his five litre petrol container.
He was knocked over while crossing the road back to his van.
“I was waiting for him in the car and I heard a hell of a bang. I said ‘Oh my God, someone has just been knocked over’. But when I saw his hat in the road, I realised that it was my husband,” said Marais.
She described her husband as a man who loved his family, especially his two-month-old granddaughter Kayla.
“We have spent 40 years waiting for our first grandchild and it is sad that he only got to spend two months with her. I was very shocked to lose him like that. He will be sadly missed,” said Natalie.
Apparently the tow truck driver was a member of the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association and was using an expired temporary driver’s licence.
Umhlali SAPS acting station commander Lt Col Jacqui Papayya said a case of culpable homicide had been opened and the case was under investigation.
Shayamoya resident Mthokozi Ndlovu was knocked over on the road on Sunday, close to Stan’s Garage.
The road is commonly used by residents of Shayamoya Township and school pupils.
Many cross this road daily to buy electricity from S E Manga and Sons store or to catch a taxi.
There are no pedestrian crossing areas or speed bumps to slow down traffic.
Nor are there road signs warning of schoolchildren and pedestrians crossing.
Shoayb Manga from Manga and Sons said the road is highly dangerous and many had died on it.
“A robot or speed humps will be the solution because almost every month one or two people die on this road.’’
Sunil Samraj who has been running the bottle store for the past eight years said from 2010 he had been trying to get help from the KwaDukuza municipality and transport department to improve the safety of pedestrians but he had not received any response.
“I have been writing letters but I have not received any joy. We see a lot of people dying on this road and it is very disappointing to see this matter is being ignored by our government,” said Samraj.
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