“We empathise with the loss of lives from the horrific crash which occurred on the same day that 17 school children were laid to rest at a heart-rending mass funeral held at Verena in Mpumalanga,” highlighted SANCO National Spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu, appealing for safety audits on all public roads and wishing those injured a speedy recovery.

Mahlangu said that the lack policies for protecting vulnerable road users and promoting investment in public transportation still accounts for the African region registering the highest road fatality rates of all the world’s region.

“Learners on the continent are victimised because five pillars for the 2011-2020 decade of action for road safety, i.e. road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response are compromised by inaction on the part of authorities,” he emphasized.

He called for mobilisation of partnerships for effective road safety campaign implementation at grassroots levels.

“Agencies which are not delivering on the mandate to reduce the carnage on public roads must be restructured and repositioned for proactive action,” added Mahlangu.  

Statement supplied