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Date : 21/11/2004
Title: Cele: Inter-Faith Road Safety Prayer Day


SPEECH NOTES BY KWAZULU-NATAL MEC FOR TRANSPORT, COMMUNITY SAFETY AND LIAISON, MR BHEKI CELE, AT THE INTER-FAITH ROAD SAFETY PRAYER DAY, Pietermaritzburg

All Protocol Observed

Gathered here today, are religious leaders and their congregations from various religious faiths, who have come together to pray with officials from the Department of Transport, for divine intervention in our efforts to reduce deaths on our roads.

Whilst we are gathered here, we also have a similar gathering taking place at the same time in Port Shepstone.

We will also be hosting other Road Safety Prayer Days at Durban, Ladysmith and Empangeni in the coming weeks.

Representatives present here today, include a number of different faiths such as Christians, Jews, Shembe, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and others, who have decided to join the Transport Department and unite in prayer, for a safe and accident free road environment.

Although, we all come from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, our common aim today, is to pray to almighty God through Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Krishna and various other names, to assist us in our efforts to reduce deaths on our roads, during the forthcoming festive season and beyond.

On Friday, we unveiled our Road Safety Plan for the forthcoming festive period, at Umtentweni on the South Coast. The primary objective of our Road Safety Plan is to create a safe road environment, and to curb the number of road crashes, primarily through education and enforcement.

I announced that we are moving from, "ZERO TOLERANCE 2 100% COMPLIANCE", for all road traffic laws.

Should there be anything less than 100% compliance, you can be assured that you will be caught and punished. In the case of offences such as drunk driving, there is also the possibility that your motor vehicle will be forfeited.

We are also working closely with the department of justice and looking into imposing sentences of community service, instead of allowing offenders to be let off the hook by merely paying fines.

So make no mistake - just comply 100%. If you commit any traffic offence, you can be assured that you will be caught and punished.

I also announced a change in the name of our "Omela Ngasekhaya" programme, to "Omela eKhaya". The reason is simply that, people who are under the influence of alcohol, are much safer right at their homes, than anywhere else.

During the festive season last year, 229 people (of which 127 or 45% were pedestrians) died on KZN's roads. In 2002 during the December holidays, 254 people died on the province's roads.

Over the years, an analysis of the causes of these crashes indicates that speed, alcohol, driver fatigue, reckless and negligent driving, un-roadworthy vehicles, pedestrian deaths and the attitude of road users require specific attention.

The Department of Transport believes that religious leaders must play a more active role in "spreading the gospel of road safety", through reinforcing road safety messages, thereby contributing towards saving lives on our roads.

Religious denominations and organisations are a critical pillar of civil society, as they make a meaningful impact in shaping societal behaviour and attitudes.

As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, part our mandate is to create a safe road environment, through the reduction of deaths and crashes on the provinces' roads.

However, we cannot achieve this on our own. Road Safety is not something you do to a community, but it is something that you do together with a community.

For far too long, there has been a perception that road safety was only government's responsibility. However, the time has come for that perception to be urgently corrected.

Road Safety is everybody's responsibility.

Road Safety has become a moral and religious challenge for the 21st century.

Therefore, due to the seriousness and urgency of this matter, I want to urge all religious leaders to ensure that road safety also becomes a spiritual issue, since road safety is also a matter of life and death.

In the Bible, Jesus told his disciples, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Jesus told his disciples that those who hear His words, and fail to do them, are like a house without a foundation that is destroyed when the storms come.

There are thousands of road users, who have heard our road safety messages over and over again, yet they fail to practise what they hear.

In conclusion, let us vigorously encourage members of our congregations to actively participate in this struggle against road crashes and deaths.

Let's build a people's contract for a safer KwaZulu-Natal.

I thank you.

Media Contact: Mawande Jubasi
KZN Department of Transport
Cell: 082 805 5748
Issued by: Issued by: Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
21 November 2004

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