Tottenham Hotspur and Orlando Pirates will wear the United Nation’s road safety symbol on black armbands during their Vodacom Challenge match tonight, 19 July at the Mbombela Stadium, in memory of Zenani Mandela and to raise awareness for the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
The yellow tag for the UN Decade of Action is intended to serve as the ‘AIDS ribbon’ for road safety, unifying global support for the effort to save millions of lives on the world’s roads. The teams are wearing the Tag symbol on the armbands in order to raise awareness for road safety and honour the memory of Zenani who was killed in a car crash last June.
A range of sport stars, celebrities and high profile figures are wearing the yellow Tag and supporting the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Inspiring figures to have given their support include former US President Bill Clinton, Burmese human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi, musician and human rights campaigner Sir Bob Geldof, and actress Michelle Yeoh. In the world of sport, the Ghana national football team has previously worn the Tag during their match with England at Wembley in 2011.
As part of Mandela Day yesterday, 18 July Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele awarded the Zenani Mandela Road Safety Scholarship to Sianne Abrahams from Cape Town at the Mbombela Stadium. The Nelson Mandela Foundation, independent charity Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Foundation and the Department of Transport are coordinating the Zenani Mandela Scholarship for Road Safety, a UN Decade of Action initiative. The scholarship was set up in Zenani’s memory to help train South African road safety professionals and also encourages road safety awareness-raising activities to be carried out.
The Minister presented visibly elated Mr J R Manzini and Mrs M C Mathebula from Mbombela with Road Accident Fund (RAF) guaranteed medical certificates, enabling them to undertake medical consultations for their injuries with the assurance that the RAF will take responsibility for the settlement of their medical expenses. The two also received cheques to the tune of R5 000 each as a ‘Mandela Day gesture’ from BusCo, a bus service company operating in Mpumalanga, after being involved in accidents involving BusCo buses.
Also as part of the 67 minutes initiative of community work yesterday, Minister Ndebele visited and assisted in the re-painting of houses of road accident victims in the Matafeni area in Mpumalanga province.
Joined by Mpumalanga MEC for Safety, Security and Liaison Mr Shongwe, the Mbombela Local Municipality Executive Mayor Councillor Dlamini, RAF CEO Mr Jacob Modise and other officials in re-painting the houses of MrsAnnah Sibiya and Mrs Letta Mkhabela, the Minister and the entourage not only donated in kind, but also in cash to the two pensioners.
“Road deaths have indeed, like the global icon that is Mandela, now become a global phenomenon,” the Minister said. “The struggle to end road deaths has now become a matter for international solidarity. Road safety is not only government’s responsibility; road safety is everybody’s responsibility. We are pleading with all South Africans to take personally the fight against road deaths, and to work together to bring down road deaths in the country.
“We all have the potential to make a difference in our own small way; however insignificant it may seem to us. Let us all, individually and collectively, strive to become agents and ambassadors for safer roads. It is in our hands!” said Minister Ndebele.
N.B. For pictures of the awarding of the scholarship as well as Minister Ndebele’s 67 minutes of community work in Mbombela, contact Sello Tshipi 012 309 3845.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
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