EDITORIAL | Had city enforced bylaws would we be dancing with death now in Joburg?

As if it's not enough running a gauntlet of faulty traffic lights, smash-and-grabbers and the scourge of occasional road rage behind the wheel in the fast-paced metropolis of Johannesburg, enter the whimsical street performer who dances pantsula-style with a plastic beer crate as a prop in the hopes of earning tips at busy intersections.   

The move by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) to remove the street dancers who use beer crates at intersections across Gauteng in an effort to save lives is encouraged, but what is the long-term plan to keep them off the streets? 

Pantsula dancers who were stationed at the Pretorius and Allandale road intersection in Waterfall, Midrand, were removed on Sunday with the police saying this “is a reckless and potentially deadly activity”.

Who can blame a person for showcasing their talent in the hope of being rewarded with some cash to put food on the table or perhaps contribute towards their children's school shoes? Times are tough, jobs are scarce and survival is, for too many in our country, a daily struggle. Finding an honest way to survive, not resorting to crime, is something to be applauded.   

But, unfortunately, not when you're dancing with death.

That's why we welcome a decision by the JMPD, citing safety concerns, to start removing street dancers dicing with death in the traffic.

The fact that we have reached the stage where street performers are being removed from busy intersections to prevent injury or even death begs the question — had the city diligently enforced basic bylaws over the past few years would we be grappling with this problem now?

“People dancing on roads pose a significant threat to their safety and the safety of others. They can be struck by moving vehicles, potentially resulting in serious injuries or fatalities. They can distract drivers, leading to accidents. They also could face fines or other penalties,” JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla told TimesLIVE.

Pedestrians, he added, must conduct themselves in a manner that “does not pose a danger to themselves or other road users.

“This includes avoiding reckless behaviour like dancing, jaywalking or crossing when it is unsafe.”

Recent evidence shows that an adult pedestrian hit by a car moving at 30km/hr has 99% chance of survival, according to the World Health Organization pedestrian and safety manual for 2023.

It's usually a leg or knee that first makes contact with the bumper of an approaching car. This causes the lower body to accelerate forward while the upper body rotates and the pedestrian's head then strikes the bonnet or windscreen at close to the velocity of the moving car. The whole body effectively wraps around the car.

The severity of injuries sustained to the head, brain, thorax, pelvis and extremities is influenced by various factors such as speed of impact, type of vehicle, shape of vehicle, age and height of the pedestrian and standing position of the pedestrian relative to the vehicle.

Drivers and passengers can also be seriously injured in pedestrian crashes.

Fihla said the City of Johannesburg Public Road and Miscellaneous By-Laws state “no person may lie, sit, stand, congregate, loiter, walk or otherwise act on any public road in a manner that may obstruct traffic”.

We have to caution, however, against inconsistencies as law enforcement is not an event but an activity that should be undertaken every day to ensure the safety of people. While they are at it, they need to incorporate the unauthorised window washers who also put their lives at risk, they too need to adhere to the bylaws.