A rugby supporter died from severe injuries on Saturday evening after falling into a deep excavation on the pavement in Lynnwood Road, Pretoria. The accident occurred shortly after the Springboks beat Scotland 42-28 at Loftus Versfeld.
The man, who was making his way back to his vehicle, fell into the trench in front of the Javett Art Centre whilst thousands of spectators were streaming through the construction area.
According to the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus), the excavations, which are four to five metres deep in certain places, were not properly barricaded, despite the area being open to pedestrian traffic on Saturday evening.
Doctors on the scene attempted to stabilise the victim, who sustained serious head injuries, but he died shortly afterwards. The South African Police Service has confirmed an investigation into the man’s death is underway.
Two other spectators also fell into the trench. One was treated in hospital with broken ribs, whilst the other was fortunately uninjured.
Willie Spies, the VF Plus mayoral candidate for the Tshwane metro, visited the scene on Monday morning and found the excavations were still not properly demarcated or marked.
He has offered his services as an attorney pro bono to the victim’s next of kin to file a claim against the Tshwane metro for alleged negligence.
Warnings ignored
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has said the tragedy could have been prevented, revealing that councillors had explicitly warned city officials about inadequate safety measures on the site just two weeks before the fatal accident.
On 29 June, councillors Tiaan Dippenaar and Siobhan Muller met with city officials and contractors at the corner of Roper Street and Lynnwood Road. During the meeting, Dippenaar explicitly warned that the safety measures in place were inadequate to protect pedestrians along Lynnwood Road between Herold Street and University Road.
The DA said that despite the clear warning, the administration failed to act.
The party has been raising concerns about the mismanagement of the project for months. In October 2025, Cllr Samantha de la Rey submitted a formal question to council about the incomplete project and the lack of progress.
The DA has called the incident a clear case of negligence and demanded accountability, urging urgent action to secure the site and ensure no one else is placed at risk.
Years of construction mismanagement
The construction work on Lynnwood Road forms part of the City of Tshwane’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 2B network and has experienced significant delays since 2024.
The project, which was originally supposed to be completed in November 2024.
The metro has cited several reasons for the delays, including wayleave approvals, land expropriation, the discovery of unrecorded underground services, new stormwater infrastructure requirements, and disputes between the main contractor and subcontractors.
Residents have repeatedly complained about the project due to deteriorating road conditions, prolonged road closures, and poor communication. Concerns have also been raised about the quality of work, with allegations that certain sections had to be repaired due to incorrect pipe sizes and temperature-sensitive asphalt.
Businesses in the area have also reported the economic impact of the delayed construction, including retrenchments due to restricted access to commercial premises.
In March this year, the University of Pretoria launched a pedestrian safety awareness campaign for students on Lynnwood Road due to the ongoing construction activities creating unpredictable conditions for pedestrians.
Safety issues across metro
Tshwane has struggled with construction-related safety issues throughout 2026. In February, a worker died after a four-metre-deep trench collapsed in the Shere area, whilst another construction worker was killed in Silver Lakes in June.
The city has a backlog of open excavations and trenches resulting from water pipe repairs and stormwater infrastructure maintenance. Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about unsecured sites.
In February, the city gazetted the Work in the Public Road Reserve By-law to mandate stricter approval processes and professional engineering standards for any construction work within road reserves. The by-law aims to reduce service delivery disruptions and improve public safety.
According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, the Tshwane metro remains one of South Africa’s highest-risk areas for pedestrian fatalities.
Tshwane Metro has yet to respond to enquiries about the incident.
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