{"id":296786,"date":"2026-03-19T13:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T11:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/?p=296786"},"modified":"2026-03-19T13:40:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T11:40:20","slug":"residents-safety-a-non-negotiable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents&#8217; safety a non-negotiable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>An urgent plea has been directed to the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to urgently secure and repair a dangerous hole left by contractors on Nyakallo Street in Phahameng Section, Meloding, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The large hole poses a serious safety risk to residents, particularly children who use this road daily to travel to and from school.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"296832\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/meloding-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1791,2388\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MELODING 2\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Meloding, Virginia&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Meloding, Virginia&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2-768x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"The large hole poses a serious safety risk to residents, particularly children who use this road daily to travel to and from school.\" class=\"wp-image-296832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2-1320x1760.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING-2.jpg 1791w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The large hole poses a serious safety risk to residents, particularly children who use this road daily to travel to and from school.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Many school children walk here daily. A child could fall into the hole, suffer severe injury, or even lose their life. This negligence is unacceptable,&#8221; says Cllr Florence Bernado, DA councillor for Matjhabeng.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The road&#8217;s deteriorating condition extends beyond the uncovered hole. The street is riddled with numerous potholes, creating extremely hazardous conditions for motorists. The situation becomes particularly dangerous during rainfall when potholes are difficult to see, significantly increasing the risk of vehicle damage and road accidents.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Residents are also forced to endure ongoing sewage spills and long, uncut grass, which further contribute to an unhealthy and neglected environment. These conditions are not only unpleasant, but pose serious threats to public health.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bernado has called on the Matjhabeng Local Municipality and ward 7 councillor Nomthandazo Monjovo, MMC of Special Projects, to locate the contractor responsible for the incomplete work. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The residents demand that the municipality immediately fill the hole and repair the road to ensure resident safety, especially for schoolchildren.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We will pursue this matter and hold contractors accountable. Anyone who leaves dangerous, unfinished work must fix it immediately,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Residents of Phahameng Section, Meloding, Virginia, are urging the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to repair a dangerous hole on Nyakallo Street, posing significant safety risks, especially for schoolchildren. The road is also riddled with potholes, sewage spills, and unkempt grass, threatening public health. Immediate action is demanded to ensure safety and accountability from contractors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":296787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"7970","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"1","article_feature_type":"normal","article_main_image_caption":"The Meloding community is demanding that this dangerous hole, which is threatening the safety of especially children, must be urgently covered.  PHOTO: Supplied","article_media_icon":"1","article_template":"news","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"Marti","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"Residents' safety a non-negotiable","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":["vinMELODING_P1"],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7970],"tags":[9141,9069,9140,9142,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-296786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-community-safety","tag-meloding","tag-school-children","tag-serious-safety-risk","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Residents&#039; safety a non-negotiable | Vista<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Residents&#039; safety a non-negotiable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Residents of Phahameng Section, Meloding, Virginia, are urging the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to repair a dangerous hole on Nyakallo Street, posing significant safety risks, especially for schoolchildren. The road is also riddled with potholes, sewage spills, and unkempt grass, threatening public health. Immediate action is demanded to ensure safety and accountability from contractors.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Vista\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T11:40:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T11:40:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marti Will\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marti Will\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marti Will\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5fcff7984992abaf4b29a15603295956\"},\"headline\":\"Residents&#8217; safety a non-negotiable\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T11:40:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-19T11:40:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":262,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MELODING1_88234.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"community safety\",\"Meloding\",\"School children\",\"serious safety risk\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/\",\"name\":\"Residents' safety a non-negotiable | Vista\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MELODING1_88234.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T11:40:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-19T11:40:20+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MELODING1_88234.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/MELODING1_88234.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1600,\"caption\":\"The Meloding community is demanding that this dangerous hole, which is threatening the safety of especially children, must be urgently covered. PHOTO: Supplied\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Residents&#8217; safety a non-negotiable\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/\",\"name\":\"Vista News\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Vista News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vista-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vista-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Vista News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/VistaNewsNuus\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/vistanewspaper\"],\"description\":\"Vista is a regional newspaper based in Welkom, the capital of Matjhabeng Municipality, in the central Free State. Vista, an English\\\/Afrikaans publication, first brought news to the community on 23 April 1971, with the following message on the front page: \u201cWe are here to write about the Goldfield and its people. We are here to serve the area in which we find ourselves, and with the help of our readers \u2013 who refine us with their constructive criticism.\",\"email\":\"vistanews@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27573571304\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5fcff7984992abaf4b29a15603295956\",\"name\":\"Marti Will\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8fc11fdeaed1ad25e241ff69e1251e7b5aaa716191f8e7160d3f8bd61e465cf2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8fc11fdeaed1ad25e241ff69e1251e7b5aaa716191f8e7160d3f8bd61e465cf2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8fc11fdeaed1ad25e241ff69e1251e7b5aaa716191f8e7160d3f8bd61e465cf2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Marti Will\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/author\\\/marti-will\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Residents' safety a non-negotiable | Vista","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Residents' safety a non-negotiable","og_description":"Residents of Phahameng Section, Meloding, Virginia, are urging the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to repair a dangerous hole on Nyakallo Street, posing significant safety risks, especially for schoolchildren. The road is also riddled with potholes, sewage spills, and unkempt grass, threatening public health. Immediate action is demanded to ensure safety and accountability from contractors.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/","og_site_name":"Vista","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus","article_published_time":"2026-03-19T11:40:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-19T11:40:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":1600,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marti Will","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marti Will","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/"},"author":{"name":"Marti Will","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/person\/5fcff7984992abaf4b29a15603295956"},"headline":"Residents&#8217; safety a non-negotiable","datePublished":"2026-03-19T11:40:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T11:40:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/"},"wordCount":262,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg","keywords":["community safety","Meloding","School children","serious safety risk","Top"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/","name":"Residents' safety a non-negotiable | Vista","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-19T11:40:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T11:40:20+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg","width":1200,"height":1600,"caption":"The Meloding community is demanding that this dangerous hole, which is threatening the safety of especially children, must be urgently covered. PHOTO: Supplied"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/residents-safety-a-non-negotiable\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Residents&#8217; safety a non-negotiable"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/","name":"Vista News","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#organization","name":"Vista News","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vista-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vista-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Vista News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vistanewspaper"],"description":"Vista is a regional newspaper based in Welkom, the capital of Matjhabeng Municipality, in the central Free State. Vista, an English\/Afrikaans publication, first brought news to the community on 23 April 1971, with the following message on the front page: \u201cWe are here to write about the Goldfield and its people. We are here to serve the area in which we find ourselves, and with the help of our readers \u2013 who refine us with their constructive criticism.","email":"vistanews@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27573571304","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/#\/schema\/person\/5fcff7984992abaf4b29a15603295956","name":"Marti Will","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fc11fdeaed1ad25e241ff69e1251e7b5aaa716191f8e7160d3f8bd61e465cf2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fc11fdeaed1ad25e241ff69e1251e7b5aaa716191f8e7160d3f8bd61e465cf2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fc11fdeaed1ad25e241ff69e1251e7b5aaa716191f8e7160d3f8bd61e465cf2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Marti Will"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/author\/marti-will\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MELODING1_88234.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51308,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/towns-drown-in-problems-20231026-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":296786,"position":0},"title":"Towns drown in problems","author":"Vista","date":"26 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The sewage crisis engulfing and flooding virtually every town, settlement and even waterway in Matjhabeng is heading towards a major ecological and health disaster.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/da478b5580ea434caa554cc56bca77c7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/da478b5580ea434caa554cc56bca77c7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/da478b5580ea434caa554cc56bca77c7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/da478b5580ea434caa554cc56bca77c7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46375,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/young-life-cut-short-20241127\/","url_meta":{"origin":296786,"position":1},"title":"Young life cut short","author":"Vista","date":"28 November 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The drowning of a 14-year-old boy in a quarry of sullied water in Meloding, Virginia, has left the community shocked to its core.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/72b17db57868446d826f543d7abb050e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49286,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/vicious-acts-of-sabotage-cause-water-shortage-in-meloding-20240321\/","url_meta":{"origin":296786,"position":2},"title":"Vicious acts of sabotage cause water shortage in Meloding","author":"Vista","date":"21 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Vicious acts of sabotage on the main water lines in Meloding have resulted in residents being without water for up to two weeks at a time.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/10f0a8b0e39944019de67e0588abd805.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/10f0a8b0e39944019de67e0588abd805.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/10f0a8b0e39944019de67e0588abd805.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/10f0a8b0e39944019de67e0588abd805.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49217,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/health-threat-persists-20240320\/","url_meta":{"origin":296786,"position":3},"title":"Health threat persists","author":"Vista","date":"22 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Schools in Matjhabeng are drowning in sewage, with some even forced to close for undetermined periods of time because of health and safety issues.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2918f1c239e14087b37981eb4d145649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2918f1c239e14087b37981eb4d145649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2918f1c239e14087b37981eb4d145649.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2918f1c239e14087b37981eb4d145649.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2918f1c239e14087b37981eb4d145649.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50908,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/state-of-matjhabeng-deteriorates-further-20231117\/","url_meta":{"origin":296786,"position":4},"title":"State of Matjhabeng deteriorates further","author":"Vista","date":"17 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"There have been reports made in previous issues of Vista for the last couple of months about the sewage leakages in different manholes across Matjhabeng. In areas of Virginia, Henenmann, and Meloding residents have been living in an ecological disast","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/126588ca834743c5b0f0dbce068b0e0d.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":46413,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/teenager-14-drowns-in-sewage-filled-meloding-quarry-20241125\/","url_meta":{"origin":296786,"position":5},"title":"Teenager (14) drowns in sewage-filled Meloding quarry","author":"Vista","date":"25 November 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The drowning of a 14-year-old boy in a quarry of water filled with sewage in Meloding, Virginia, has left the community shocked to its core.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e9e23cc467c541b4bdea137260d75886.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Vista","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/296787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296786"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=296786"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=296786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}