Parents and residents in Sinoville have welcomed the long-awaited repair of a hazardous trench near Stephanus Roos Primary School, which had raised serious safety concerns for learners and the broader community.

The trench, located at the busy corner of Mirca and Antun streets, had remained open for weeks, making it difficult for scholar patrol members to safely assist children crossing the road.

Ward 50 councillor Lenise Breytenbach confirmed that the issue has now been resolved following intervention and engagement with the relevant municipal teams.

“The team attended to the site and the necessary work has now been completed. We understand the concerns raised by parents and the school, and we appreciate the community’s patience while this was being addressed,” said Breytenbach.

She acknowledged frustrations over delays, adding that better co-ordination is needed to ensure that safety hazards, particularly near schools, are dealt with more swiftly in future.

Residents expressed relief that the danger has finally been addressed, though some questioned why it took so long.

“It was extremely stressful every morning. Children had to cross without proper assistance because the scholar patrol couldn’t operate safely.

“We are just grateful it’s fixed now before something serious happened,” said resident Mariam Nkuna.

Another resident, Piet Kriel said the situation had become increasingly risky.

“That trench was a real danger. Cars were swerving, and kids didn’t know where to stand or cross. It’s a big relief to see it finally sorted, but it should not have taken this long,” he said.

The repaired section now allows for safer movement of both pedestrians and vehicles, and scholar patrol members are expected to resume their duties without obstruction.

Kriel said the incident has once again highlighted the importance of timely infrastructure maintenance, especially in high-risk areas such as school zones.

He called on the municipality to prioritise such issues to prevent similar situations in the future.

“While the immediate danger has been removed, continued vigilance and faster response times will be key in ensuring that learner safety is never compromised again,” said Kriel.

ALSO READ: United effort moves to fix safety flaws at Theresapark school

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel