By Rudi Maartens – DA Councillor Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans Soundbites by Cllr Rudi Maartens
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Mangaung Metro Municipality is launching an aggressive intervention to secure road safety improvements along Tielman Roos Drive in Olive Hill, following a series of tragic, preventable accidents. This action comes in response to the absence of basic safety measures on this hazardous road, which has led to the devastating loss of two young lives and caused serious injury within a few short weeks.
On 6 May 2024, a six-year-old Grade 1 learner from Dr Bethuel Setai Primary School was struck and fatally injured by a vehicle near Olive Hill Cash Store. This heart-wrenching incident was followed only days later by the death of a 21-year-old woman, the sole breadwinner in her family, who was also struck while returning from work on the same dangerous road. Most recently, another pedestrian was hospitalised after being hit by a vehicle, underscoring the urgent need for intervention.
An investigation by the DA uncovered a startling lack of safety infrastructure on Tielman Roos Drive: there are no warning signs for children or pedestrians, and only two speed limit signs that are positioned after the school zone. Additionally, the school’s turnoff is poorly located at the bottom of a bridge, making it difficult for drivers to see. This hazardous setup has made Tielman Roos notorious among emergency responders for frequent, often gruesome accidents.
In response, the DA held a meeting on 16 May 2024 at Dr Bethuel Setai Primary School, attended by the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Education, and the Free State Provincial Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport. While officials from Community Safety conducted a road safety talk for learners, further action has been stagnant. A planned follow-up meeting on 6 June was indefinitely postponed, leaving the community vulnerable on this perilous road.
The DA is pressing senior municipal and provincial officials for immediate action, advocating for the installation of visible pedestrian warnings, speed-reduction infrastructure, and clear signage to prevent further loss of life. The DA remains committed to pursuing every avenue for fairness and safety, determined to see that the residents of Olive Hill are no longer endangered by negligence on Tielman Roos Drive.