Safety concerns raised over hazardous debris

A FALLEN tree raised concerns for residents in Morningside.

The massive tree fell across both lanes of Peter Mokaba Road near the Springfield Road intersection weeks ago, causing a power outage in the area as an electrical pole and substation were impacted.

While the road was quickly cleared and electricity restored within a few days, the tree trunk and other debris were yet to be cleared from the verges weeks later. Residents said this was an accident waiting to happen as the debris impacted visibility on the busy road.

Also read: City tallies damage at R287m after storm

Penford Grove resident Louis Aurel said the tree fell in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, June 8.

“I woke up at about three o’clock in the morning to a loud bang. I tried to turn the lights on, and the power was out. I walked outside and found some people milling around. The tree was right across the road and had taken an electrical pole out,” he said, adding that electricity was restored on Friday, following the incident.

Aurel said the City’s response was prompt, although, it took weeks for the process to be completed.

“They came on the same day and started cutting the tree, and by the afternoon, they had the road open. But since then, nothing happened until the morning of July 19 when a team arrived,” he said.

Also read: City demolishes ‘problem building’

For Aurel, the debris raised safety concerns for pedestrians and motorists.
“Pedestrians had to walk in the road, and it was a road hazard as the tree was [inching into] the road,” he said.

He added that the tree had left a crack in the wall of the water-reservoir premises, raising further concerns about vandalism and theft in the area.

The eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment at the time of going to press.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.