Latest news with #Pelser
The Citizen
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Residents demand action as Stamvrug Street deteriorates
Businesses and residents along Stamvrug Street in Val-de-Grace near Meyerspark are calling on the metro to urgently resurface and repair the road, which has been plagued by potholes for years. According to residents, the road has not seen proper maintenance since 2015, and its condition has deteriorated significantly. Numerous complaints have been lodged with the municipality, but these have either been ignored or followed up by temporary patch-up jobs that deteriorate within months, leaving the road in an even worse state. The residents said the state of the road poses a serious safety hazard as both lanes are damaged, making it difficult to navigate the heavy traffic on the road and the potholes. They claim that the metro came to fix the potholes, but the work was very poor, and believe that it will not last a month. Hennie Pelser from a business on the street said many businesses and residents have reported the poor condition of the road on several occasions, yet it is only getting worse. 'Every time it was repaired in the past, the repairs lasted only a couple of months, and then the deterioration started again. Unless the road is properly repaired, it will continue to deteriorate.' Pelser said Stamvrug is used by many vehicles daily, due to the two office complexes and townhouses it serves. He said that since the metro was not forthcoming regarding the proper repairs, they found quotations for basic repair, medium repair, and proper repair for the road. 'The contractor has a very good name and personally came to inspect the state of the road before quoting.' The quotations amounted to more than R100 000. 'At Stamvrug Street, the best we can do is to work on that quotation for slurry seal [asphalt], or if the budget is not yet allocated, we can redo the pothole patching. The municipality was using a very poor quality product that would not even last for months. So, it's best we remove it and put something that will carry us for a longer period,' he explained. He said the municipal teams last week came but just did a quick patch job. Not all potholes were filled, he added. 'This is a long-standing issue, which the city is attending to sporadically, and then in three months, all potholes are back. The state of the road forces people to drive on the wrong side of the road, some driving on mountable curbs and sidewalks.' Liane Renicke from a business on the street said the metro needs to resolve this issue urgently. 'The road is worsening day by day, and the potholes are becoming too many due to the traffic. We would appreciate it if the city could come and attend to this and repair the road,' she said. The issue starts from the intersection of Stamvrug and Naboom streets, where potholes are forming on the circle all the way up to the HB Forum building. Tshidi Lesunyane said potholes on Stamvrug Street are now posing a danger to both motorists and pedestrians. 'The road conditions are now impacting traffic flow and could potentially lead to vehicle damage or even accidents. We demand that Tshwane do their job and fix the road.' Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo acknowledged that while complaints had been received and attended to in both 2024 and 2025, the city operates on a reactive maintenance system. Mashigo said no formal assessments of Stamvrug Street were conducted this year as no complaints had been lodged until the one received on June 6. 'The city responds based on complaints received, and without such notifications, maintenance is not initiated.' He added that while potholes on Stamvrug Street will be addressed, the deeper structural cracks require full resurfacing, something that cannot be done without budget approval. 'The city will attend to the potholes, but the cracks can only be properly repaired by removing the current asphalt and resurfacing the road. This has budget implications,' said Mashigo. When asked about the turnaround time for pothole repairs, he added that the city is currently battling a significant maintenance backlog caused by limited resources. 'Resurfacing will depend on the availability of funds and alignment with the city's resurfacing programme,' he said. Mashigo added that Tshwane relies on a reactive maintenance approach, and that means teams are dispatched only once complaints are lodged. As frustrations continue to mount, residents and business owners say they will continue to escalate the matter until long-term solutions are implemented. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
09-06-2025
- The Citizen
Brakpan mom forgives boy (12) who allegedly drove car that killed her son (14)
The mother of 14-year-old Malcolm Booysen, who died on Saturday after being hit by a vehicle, allegedly driven by a 12-year-old child, told the Brakpan Herald this morning that she has forgiven the child allegedly responsible for the crash. 'My Malcolm was a child who believed in God and he would have wanted it this way,' Helen-Ann Pelser said. 'In the past, I probably would have held a grudge, but thanks to my husband, Quinton, who brought our whole family closer to the Lord and the church, I feel that forgiveness is the right thing to do,' she said. Still, she said she never wants to relive the moment she heard that her child had passed away. 'It was the longest moment of my life when I had to drive from my sister's flat to the place where the accident happened,' said an emotional Pelser. According to her, she was at her sister Marissa Strauss's flat in Prince George Avenue on Saturday when a chaplain arrived with the tragic news. 'We went to the scene with my sister and the chaplain, Henry Bruinette. I prayed all the way there, and I wish that experience on no one.' The family does not live far from where the accident occurred, along Northdene Avenue. According to Pelser, Malcolm and his two younger brothers, Jason (12) and Jacques (10), as well as older brother Austin (17), were very close to one another. 'Malcolm enjoyed collecting and trading Hot Wheels cars. He was a child who went to church and Sunday school, and if his younger brothers didn't want to go, he would always encourage them to go along,' she said. Pelser expressed gratitude to everyone who has reached out to her and her family during this time of sorrow. 'I was completely surprised and overwhelmed when I saw how many people showed up at Sunday's vigil. There were people I didn't even know who came to me and said they knew Malcolm and are praying for us. I believe my child is in Heaven because his heart was right.' The family is still arranging the funeral.
The South African
29-05-2025
- The South African
RIP: Tragic end to search for missing Bellville woman as body found in guesthouse
What began as a frantic search for a missing Bellville woman has ended in heartbreak after the body of Chantal Pelser was discovered in a Cape Town guesthouse on Wednesday afternoon. She was 52. Pelser had been missing since Sunday, 25 May, after she was last seen driving her silver Hyundai i10 through the Bo-Kaap area around 13:00, reportedly heading toward Kloof Nek Road. Her sudden disappearance prompted a desperate plea for help across social media, with family and friends describing her as vulnerable and urging the public to assist in locating her. After days of silence, hope turned to sorrow when Pelser's body was found in a guesthouse room, following a police investigation that traced her bank card activity to the location. Emergency medical services and law enforcement were already at the scene when relatives arrived. The news was confirmed by Beau Solms, the daughter of Pelser's long-time partner, Linlee Solms. 'We're still in the process of notifying the search agencies and asking them to call it off,' said Beau. She and her mother are expected to officially identify the body on Thursday. According to Lieutenant Colonel Fienie Nimb, spokesperson for the Bellville police, no signs of foul play were discovered at the scene. 'She checked in on Sunday. Her death is currently being treated as a suicide. Investigations are ongoing,' said Nimb. During the search, concern had grown after Pelser's phone went offline shortly after she was last seen. Her vehicle had not triggered any new entries in the License Plate Recognition (LPR) system, further complicating the efforts to locate her. Non-profit organisation PinkLadies, which supports missing persons cases, had flagged Pelser's case as high priority due to concerns about her emotional wellbeing. The family and authorities await official reports and post-mortem results, but the early findings point to a tragic end to a case that had sparked widespread concern and community involvement. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or emotional distress, please seek help. Contact Lifeline South Africa at 0861 322 322 or the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) at 0800 456 789 (24-hour suicide helpline). Post your condolences below, by … Leaving a comment below, or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
