Hundreds of residents of Migson Manor in Lenasia South, Johannesburg, blocked the Golden Highway with burning tyres after a taxi knocked down and killed a teenager on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
”There are 1 500-plus people here,” said Captain William Mcera, just after 7pm.
Migson Manor Residents’ Association spokesperson Emmanuel Mphelo said residents were very agitated.
”It is not the first time someone has been knocked down here and killed.”
Mphelo said many people have lost their lives in the area because the four-lane Golden Highway, with a speed limit of 100kph, splits two residential areas.
”We have issued memorandums and complaints to authorities since the 1990s about the number of accidents here,” he said. However, nothing has been done.
”It is a provincial road, a big road, and people drive very fast.”
Mphelo said community leaders have asked for ”things to prevent accidents”.
”We asked for robots, humps, stop signs or even an overhead bridge,” he said.
He said leaders were told recently that they were directing their complaints to the wrong authorities.
”We have been told now that the road is the Gauteng department of transport’s responsibility.”
Mphelo said schoolchildren are usually knocked down because they have to cross the road to get to school. — Sapa