GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Breë Street is a straight run between Kroonvale and Asherville, flanked by houses on one side and veld on the other. It is a busy road, linking communities to town and their children to Spandau Senior Secondary School and Kroonvale Primary School.
Alistair Sylvester's family lives on Breë Street. The family home is at the foot of the hill that slopes down from Spandau School towards Asherville.
Travelling down the gently sloping hill, even cautious motorists pick up speed. Others speed up and down the hill. Sylvester says the area between Spandau and the TB hospital is bad.
In October 2018, Sylvester's concern for the safety of pedestrians using this stretch of Breë Street motivated him to write a letter to the municipality requesting speed bumps. This request was signed by ten residents. It fell on deaf ears.
Last week concerned mothers living in this area, who have asked not to be named, again raised concerns. "The cars are driving very fast in our street and kids are playing here. The cars cannot brake that quickly. Can the motorists not drive more slowly? We are concerned and afraid."
A woman who has lived in the same house on Breë Street for 46 years says, "At night you jump from your bed, it is like they are in your room. We grew up with accidents here. Cars have even gone into people's yards. They drive like wild animals. At night, it sounds like they are racing here. We grew up like this."
Another woman joins the discussion, "I went with a taxi into Masizakhe. On the road leading to Nqweba School, I asked myself how did they get all these bumps? There are so many speed bumps on that road. And this is the main road (Breë Street) but there are none here."
Sylvester's letter requesting speed bumps, signed by ten residents, was delivered first to the municipality's Road Safety Manager, who at the time was Chris Rhode.
When it became clear to Sylvester that a positive response was unlikely, he escalated the matter within the municipality.
In February 2019 he received a written response from the municipal manager, Dr Edward Rankwana, indicating that his request for traffic calming measures could not be considered in that financial year, given that they were not planned for and therefore not included in the Council's budget.
At that time Sylvester also approached the Democratic Alliance (DA) and met with the DA councillor for the area, Joy Williams. Despite promises, there was no progress.
It is at the foot of this hill in Selfbou that the tragic death of young Julian Andrews occurred. Sylvester is devastated. "I was so upset. It could have been avoided."
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Nkohli, has informed the Advertiser that "police are investigating a case of culpable homicide after a fatal car crash which claimed the life of a 10-year-old pedestrian" and that "circumstances relating to the accident will form part of the culpable homicide investigation."
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