Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Selmé Pretorius and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL. See attached pictures here, here, here, and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung has written to the municipal administration to implement a comprehensive road safety plan and to intensify oversight to ensure that immediate interventions are carried out. The people of Mangaung are crying out for safety on our roads, yet their pleas continue to fall on deaf ears, with the alarming rise in accidents and loss of life reflecting the municipality’s failure to prioritise public safety.
The DA in Mangaung will also engage the HOD and MMC of Technical Services and provide them with a list of potholes around Mangaung. We are appalled by the deplorable state of our roads, the lack of law enforcement, and the blatant disregard for traffic regulations.
Potholes, inadequate traffic signage, and speeding vehicles have turned our streets into death traps, directly endangering residents and placing immense strain on already overburdened emergency services and families affected by preventable tragedies.
How many more lives must be lost before the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality takes decisive action?
The DA in Mangaung calls for immediate action from the municipality. This includes increasing law enforcement presence by deploying more traffic officers to monitor speed and enforce traffic laws, as well as repairing roads and maintaining infrastructure through fixing potholes, addressing damaged roads, and ensuring regular maintenance. The municipality must also install traffic calming measures by repairing traffic signage and implementing additional safety interventions in high-risk areas.
The municipality must improve emergency response times by ensuring that ambulances and emergency services respond swiftly and effectively to accidents. It is equally critical to conduct regular road safety audits to identify high-risk areas and implement corrective measures, while enhancing public awareness through education campaigns focused on road safety and compliance with traffic regulations.
In addition, the installation of speed cameras and stricter enforcement of speed limits must be prioritised, alongside a review and update of traffic policies to ensure alignment with national best practices and consistent enforcement.
As the DA, we commit to holding the municipality accountable by monitoring progress in implementing these measures. We will continue engaging with communities to identify high-risk areas and advocate for meaningful change, while conducting independent assessments to evaluate municipal performance and provide practical recommendations.
The DA will also collaborate with stakeholders, including local businesses, schools, and organisations, to promote a culture of road safety across Mangaung.
To the people of Mangaung, we say: we hear you, and we will continue to fight for your safety. To the municipality, we say: take responsibility and act with urgency.
Let us work together to make Mangaung’s roads safer for all.