’Road of death’ shut: Church group barricades dangerous Tafelsig street
THOU SHALT NOT PASS: Burning tyres in protest on Swartklip Road
Mitchells Plain church members have shut “the road of death” after they buried yet another victim who was run over by a car on Swartklip Road.
Frustrated members of the I am Who I am Ministries barricaded the street with burning tyres and rubble after laying to rest 10-year-old Thaabiet Essop on Saturday.
Youth leader Keeno Yabo says the boy was on his way to church on June 24, but he never made it.
“The church is across the road from his home and he was going to the youth gathering that evening,” says Yabo.
“He was walking across the street when a speeding car hit him and he died on the spot.”
The concerned Tafelsig resident says Thaabiet is not the only person to have been killed on the road in June.
“We lost two youngsters also in June, there is another one who is in hospital,” Yabo says.
“We don’t want any more deaths and that is why yesterday we decided to close the road.”
He suspects that an overflowing drain in the area could be the reason for the many accidents.
“It is mostly people who come from the Baden Powell Drive direction who lose control when they drive over the pothole covered with water.
“It is difficult to notice it and so people speed over it and then they lose control and either ram into people or people’s homes.
“We had a shop but it was destroyed by a car and even our church vibracrete was removed by a vehicle during an accident.”
Yabo says they had approached the City of Cape Town about the drain but says nothing had been done.
“We have sent emails, we even attached pictures of bodies lying on the road after accidents and they remain unanswered. Now that we disrupted traffic we hope they will listen to us,” he added.
The youth leader says the first time an official made contact with them was yesterday after their demonstration.
Ward 99 Councillor Bongile Ngcani says: “Most people cause accidents as they try to drive away from the stagnant water on the road.
“The road became worse last week because of the storm, it collapsed on the side.
“I have escalated this to the relevant departments and I am also waiting for their feedback.”