The Arrive Alive prayer session started with the community gathering at Thokoza Taxi Rank and pamphlets were distributed to invite people to the prayer session.
After the successful distribution of the pamphlets, they marched to the venue.The prayers were organised by Pastor Noko Mochosa of I Believe Ministries Church in Katlehong.
Mochosa said local churches wanted people to have safe trips to their destinations.
“We want people, whether they are going on holidays or to church conferences, to arrive safely at their destinations,” said Mochosa, who was also the programme director for the day.
There were different speakers, including pastors from different churches, Ekurhuleni’s metro police, South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), local taxi organisations and the South African Network of Religious Leaders Living With or Personally Affected by HIV and Aids (SANARELA).
Pastor Jane Makakase said the aim is to use the prayer to encourage people to obey the rules of the road.
“We want to encourage everyone using the road not to blame it on the government or the police should there be any accidents on the road. But we want all the stakeholders to be responsible – and especially not to drink and drive,” said Makakase.
Nomsa Befula, from SANARELA, said safety on the road is everyone’s responsibility.
“Police can’t be everywhere to guard against bad drivers. So let us report every wrongdoing on our roads and make the police’s job easier as we all want to have safe Easter holidays,” said Befula.
Lerato Shekeshe encouraged drivers not to spend their time on social media while driving.
“It takes a second for a car to come out of the road and overturn. So driver are encouraged to stay away from social media as they take away their driving concentration.
“Even pedestrians who are crossing the roads are encouraged to cross at the safe place like traffic lights and crossing signs. Parents are encouraged to tell their school-going children not to cross in the middle of the road or to cross at the traffic lights when it is not safe to do so,” said Shekeshe.
He added that passengers have the right to ask for taxi drivers to show their drivers licences before leaving the taxi rank.
“Passengers have the right to even ask for the taxi’s permit and check the documents that proves that the taxi is roadworthy or not,” concludes Shekeshe.
