Democratic Alliance PR councillor in Ward 47 and 48, Pogiso Kgobokoe and Ruth Langa of Democratic Alliance Women’s Network (DAWN), are concerned about the number of motor vehicle incidents that have resulted in children dying and others getting injured at Maikane Street in Dobsonville.
Kgobokoe said: “Three children have lost their lives on this street, mainly because vehicles travel at a higher speed than they should. This is what we learned when the family spoke with us during our visit.”
He said that the most recent incident involved a five-year-old child whom, as of February 20, is still lying helplessly in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
The child was hit by a car on February 4 and has since been admitted to hospital.
It is alleged that a 15-year-old was behind the wheel at the time of the accident and was apparently under the influence of alcohol.
Speaking on behalf of DAWN, Langa said: “We want our children to walk freely and safely in the streets without fear of cars.
“Women in Ward 47, must work together to ensure that our environment is free from drugs and anything deemed harmful to the children.
The same applies to all men.
“We want to encourage women to speak out against abuse – that’s the duty of DAWN and our girl child has rights and shouldn’t be victimised by men,” she said.
DA has requested that speed humps be built to at least prevent motorists from speeding and has gone as far as drawing a petition.