By Doreen Mokgolo
An enterprising homeowner who set up a private tollgate on his property at the Dalimphofu informal settlement in Soshanguve might soon have to remove it.
At the weekend, Tshwane metro police visited Thabiso Mashala, who runs the tollgate, to investigate who owns the land on which it operates.
Recently, a video of the tollgate went viral on social media. It showed drivers paying R5 to use a shortcut through the area.
The Dalimphofu settlement started three years ago, and the tollgate operates from 6am to 8pm, allowing students to get to school and workers to get home more easily.
Mashala told Scrolla.Africa he set up the tollgate to manage people using his property as a shortcut.
“This is after months of residents walking through without my permission. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I heard drunk people fighting in my yard,” he said.
“To control the movement I decided to formalise it for those who want to use my home as a shortcut into the area to pay R5 and soon I started allowing cars.”
Mashala said the money he collects goes toward keeping his yard clean and paying people who help when he’s not around.
Tshwane metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said officers were sent to check if the land is privately owned or belongs to the city.
“If it is privately owned, we will advise the owner about the steps they need to take,” he said.
He said they expect to have the results by Wednesday.
Pictured above: Informal tollgate.
Source: Supplied
