Trucks continue to cause havoc in Clairwood

HEAVY-DUTY trucks illegally driving on residential roads in Clairwood have once again been placed in the spotlight.

Daily incidents of streets poles being mowed down, water meters are knocked over, crushed stormwater manholes, boundary walls of homes being damaged and the threat to people’s lives due to heavy-duty trucks operating in residential areas of Clairwood is a growing concern that is yet to be addressed.

The issue has ward 32 PR councillor Sharmaine Sewshanker at her wits end on the matter.

“The lack of enforcement in Clairwood has resulted in lawlessness and a blatant disregard of the rules of the road by some trucking companies in Clairwood.

“Trucking companies damaging infrastructure in Clairwood is fast becoming a major headache for me and the municipality. The damaged stormwater drains cause blockages and flooding, damaged water meters results in thousands of litres of water being lost. Some residential roads in Clairwood are desecrated without any tar on the surface. I’m inundated with calls and complaints from residents due to the lack of visibility and response from the ward councillor,” said Sewshnker.

She said that a meeting with residents in Houghton Road recently where an additional issue of suspected illegal trucking companies operating in Clairwood was highlighted. “Many of these companies employ foreign nationals who are illegally living in South Africa. It is for this reason that when an accident takes place or a violation committed, it is very easy for these guys to disappear without a trace.”

She shared that she has made numerous efforts to liaise with relevant departments to escalate the matter.

“We need Metro Police to conduct regular blitzes in the area to ensure that the safety of the ratepayers of Clairwood. Many innocent lives have already been lost without any consequences for the actions of the perpetrators. How many more lives must be lost before the law enforcement authorities take action.

When asked about claims of illegal trucking companies in the Clairwood area, Regional Coordinator of Land Use Management Central South, Eric Parker asked not to engage on the matter and further said, “There is a project being undertaken that will provide clarity on the matter, but it is the start of a three-year project and under tender award appeal at the moment.”

Ward 32 councillor Portas Ngonyama said that he was aware of the issue and has long since wanted to address it openly with the public. “There is a lot of lawlessness in Clairwood which undermines the residents. The truth is that illegal trucking is a problem that has never been well addressed with the community. It is not something that has been tackled head on. The first way to do this is to hold a public community meeting to hear all the concerns of the residents. Relevant stakeholders including those from the department of planning and development as well as Metro Police would also have to be part of such a meeting. This is on my list of priorities, however, due to Covid-19 restrictions on public gatherings, I have had to put it on hold. But it will happen,” he said.

When asked about the need for police presence and enforcement in the area, Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superindentent Parboo Sewpersadh advised that community members direct their concerns to the Clairwood Community Policing Forum. “From there, the community can place on record their complaints, concerns and requests. The CPF is a formal forum which works in conjunction with other security bodies or organisations as well as the police.”  

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