KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Willies Mchunu is to launch a new aggressive and integrated campaign to halt the increasing trend in road fatalities while simultaneously intensifying efforts to root out crime.
Dubbed “Operation Valingozi” the new road safety campaign is the product of a partnership between the Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison together with Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) - KZN.
“Operation Valingozi” seeks to prevent the spate of road fatalities that the province of KwaZulu-Natal has been experiencing in the recent past. Since April 2011 to date more than 1 310 people were killed in more than 732 road accidents.
This programme will be officially launch next week in Durban and is in line with the festive season road safety campaign aimed at reduction of road accidents and to eliminate the upsurge in criminal activities often associated with the festive season.
“Operation Valingozi” will focus on the integrated law enforcement, building partnership, promoting high moral values and respect for the rule of law and educational campaigns on road safety.
Mchunu said “This campaign is part of our offensive against any acts of wrong doing that result into accidents and massive loss of lives. Fatalities on our roads cannot be accepted as inevitable, they don’t just happen, there is a cause and often someone has committed a wrong. This tells us that if we focus on awareness, education and law enforcement we can prevent road related deaths. We are very optimistic that this campaign “Operation Valingozi” will add more value and instil a new sense of moral behaviour to many of our road users”.
“Operation Valingozi seeks to revive morals and consciences of all of us. This program seeks to galvanise everyone to take responsibility and be active against road carnages and criminal activities. I am optimistic that this campaign will go a long way as we are approaching the festive season and beyond. I also welcome the bold leadership demonstrated by Poprcu for coming on board.
I want to appeal to all civil society organisations, unions, academics, activists, celebrities, religious leaders, traditional leaders, municipalities and ordinary people to join this important campaign of saving lives of innocent people.
Road carnages are a serious concern and affect all of us. We must all unite to prevent them,” said Mchunu.
Mchunu last week presented to the Provincial Executive Council a painful report, sharing recent statistics on fatalities as a result of road accidents in the province.
He also expressed gratitude that Cabinet and the Legislature has placed top on its agenda road safety issues and their support for Operation Valingozi.
Mchunu cited excessive speeding, drinking and driving, disobedience of road rules and not wearing seatbelt as key contributory factors to road accidents. He decried the fact that road accidents often rob families of bread winners and the province and country of economically active population group.
Tomorrow, Mchunu and members of the KZN Legislature are expected to debate mechanism and strategies to curb road accidents.
Enquiries:
Kwanele Ncalane
Cell: 072 803 1462 or 079 699 5755
