United Nations Global Campaign for Road Safety makes its way to Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School
Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School learners empowered with essential road safety skills.
Road safety was in the spotlight recently with a focus on learners’ welfare.
This was after the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), in collaboration with the United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety, General Secretary Jean Todt, recently visited Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School in Rabie Ridge as part of the United Nations Global Campaign for Road Safety.
The visit to the school took place on May 14 during Todt’s three-day official visit to South Africa from May 13–15 under the theme #MakeASafetyStatement campaign.
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The purpose of this visit to the school was to educate learners about road safety and emphasise the importance of the Scholar Patrol Programme.
Scholar patrol is an important part of road safety education and essential to enhancing the safety of learners at their schools.
Not only does the programme regulate traffic, improve speed calming, and facilitate safe crossing of the road but it also instils in the minds of our young pedestrians an awareness of the importance of road safety.
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As part of the programme, Lwazi Mboyi the CEO of Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, along with other transport CEOs, and the RTMC shared crucial road safety messages with the learners and generously donated school shoes, uniforms, and first aid kits to them. The Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga and Todt also undertook various road safety activations during the visit.
Todt emphasised that empowering the next generation with the tools to protect themselves on the road was at the core of the programme.
“Road safety is more than education, it is imperative for safeguarding our young scholars. Let us champion this cause for a safer tomorrow,” said Todt.
The visit also culminated in a media dialogue on the State of Road Safety in South Africa to raise awareness of life-saving actions among young generations. According to StatsSA, road accidents are among the leading killers of young people aged between 25-29 worldwide. Supporting these efforts was key in a country where more than 60% of the population is under 35.
The envoy also met members of various government departments and representatives of the private and public sectors as well as NGOs to advocate the effective implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which aims to halve the number of road fatalities by 2030.
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