A Fourways woman is facing the daunting prospect of being forced to leave her family home of more than a decade as a result of people she calls “inconsiderate bullies”.
Arlette de Jager‚ 60‚ lives in the Chartwell North Estate neighbouring the luxurious Steyn City in the north of Johannesburg.
De Jager suffers from emphysema‚ a long-term and progressive lung condition that causes major breathing difficulties.
De Jager claims her condition has worsened since the opening of a dirt road‚ Runnymead Avenue‚ for construction vehicles to enter Steyn City‚ which runs directly behind her property.
“We are drowning in dust‚” she told The Times on Wednesday.
The residents of Chartwell North banded together and issued a statement to the media on Tuesday‚ saying they were fed up with the illegal entrance and the dust from the trucks that was causing residents to suffer physically.
Residents said the trucks passed by Unity College Special Needs School‚ endangering children.
“In two months‚ my condition has worsened considerably. My doctor has now told me that I will have to live somewhere else‚ as I cannot continue to breathe in all this dust.”
De Jager said hundreds of trucks passed by her home on the dirt road every day‚ covering every inch of her home in fine dust.
“At first I only needed to be on oxygen at night when I slept. In the last few weeks‚ if I am at home‚ I can easily be forced to be on oxygen 24 hours a day.”
She said physical pain associated with her condition has also grown steadily worse‚ to the point where she can no longer spend more than two hours at work before having to go home and rest.
Chartwell North residents have written numerous letters to complain about the road.
“I am so frustrated‚” De Jager said. “If I continue to get worse‚ I will have to leave my home and place my family under financial strain. They are so inconsiderate. They think because they are a big conglomeration they can bully people.”
De Jager’s son installed a motion-activated camera on her property to capture the movements of vehicles.
The Times studied the photographs and found that over three weekdays‚ 177 trucks passed De Jager’s property.
A water truck‚ which Steyn City said was sent down the road at regular intervals‚ was spotted going past 28 times in the same period – nine times out of which it was not dispersing water.
In response to the statement issued on behalf of Chartwell North residents‚ Steyn City denied that the entrance on Runnymead Avenue was illegal.
“Runnymead Ave was proclaimed a public thoroughfare as far back as 1939‚ when Chartwell Agricultural Holdings and the Rietvallei Subdivisions were first created‚” Steyn City said.
“The Chartwell Residents have also said that Steyn City Properties’ use of the road by heavy vehicles is not legal. Again‚ this is not true: all necessary approvals were obtained from the Johannesburg Roads Agency by 12 December 2016. These approvals gave permission for revised access to Steyn City from Runnymead Ave.”
Residents claim the said permissions do not exist‚ and furthermore claim that the Runnymead Avenue entrance does not exist in Steyn City plans they have access to.
“Steyn City Properties wishes to assure residents that a dust control plan has been implemented from the outset to address this issue. A dedicated water tanker has been made available for the sole purpose of watering the road which is logged to ensure that this is carried out at regular intervals.”
Steyn City said the safety concerns of children attending Unity College were also addressed by the construction of speed bumps‚ as per requests from the Johannesburg Roads Agency.
“The company would in no way act to endanger the community nor would it undertake any action that may – either directly or indirectly – contravene the law.”
-TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
'We are drowning in dust' - Steyn City trucks upset residents
Arlette de Jager‚ 60‚ lives in the Chartwell North Estate neighbouring the luxurious Steyn City in the north of Johannesburg.
De Jager suffers from emphysema‚ a long-term and progressive lung condition that causes major breathing difficulties.
De Jager claims her condition has worsened since the opening of a dirt road‚ Runnymead Avenue‚ for construction vehicles to enter Steyn City‚ which runs directly behind her property.
“We are drowning in dust‚” she told The Times on Wednesday.
The residents of Chartwell North banded together and issued a statement to the media on Tuesday‚ saying they were fed up with the illegal entrance and the dust from the trucks that was causing residents to suffer physically.
Residents said the trucks passed by Unity College Special Needs School‚ endangering children.
“In two months‚ my condition has worsened considerably. My doctor has now told me that I will have to live somewhere else‚ as I cannot continue to breathe in all this dust.”
De Jager said hundreds of trucks passed by her home on the dirt road every day‚ covering every inch of her home in fine dust.
“At first I only needed to be on oxygen at night when I slept. In the last few weeks‚ if I am at home‚ I can easily be forced to be on oxygen 24 hours a day.”
She said physical pain associated with her condition has also grown steadily worse‚ to the point where she can no longer spend more than two hours at work before having to go home and rest.
Chartwell North residents have written numerous letters to complain about the road.
“I am so frustrated‚” De Jager said. “If I continue to get worse‚ I will have to leave my home and place my family under financial strain. They are so inconsiderate. They think because they are a big conglomeration they can bully people.”
De Jager’s son installed a motion-activated camera on her property to capture the movements of vehicles.
The Times studied the photographs and found that over three weekdays‚ 177 trucks passed De Jager’s property.
A water truck‚ which Steyn City said was sent down the road at regular intervals‚ was spotted going past 28 times in the same period – nine times out of which it was not dispersing water.
In response to the statement issued on behalf of Chartwell North residents‚ Steyn City denied that the entrance on Runnymead Avenue was illegal.
“Runnymead Ave was proclaimed a public thoroughfare as far back as 1939‚ when Chartwell Agricultural Holdings and the Rietvallei Subdivisions were first created‚” Steyn City said.
“The Chartwell Residents have also said that Steyn City Properties’ use of the road by heavy vehicles is not legal. Again‚ this is not true: all necessary approvals were obtained from the Johannesburg Roads Agency by 12 December 2016. These approvals gave permission for revised access to Steyn City from Runnymead Ave.”
Residents claim the said permissions do not exist‚ and furthermore claim that the Runnymead Avenue entrance does not exist in Steyn City plans they have access to.
“Steyn City Properties wishes to assure residents that a dust control plan has been implemented from the outset to address this issue. A dedicated water tanker has been made available for the sole purpose of watering the road which is logged to ensure that this is carried out at regular intervals.”
Steyn City said the safety concerns of children attending Unity College were also addressed by the construction of speed bumps‚ as per requests from the Johannesburg Roads Agency.
“The company would in no way act to endanger the community nor would it undertake any action that may – either directly or indirectly – contravene the law.”
-TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
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