Date: 28/10/2003
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Ndebele: Ladysmith interfaith road safety initiative, KwaZulu-Natal
SPEECH BY THE KWAZULU-NATAL MEC FOR TRANSPORT, MR S'BU NDEBELE, DURING THE LADYSMITH INTERFAITH ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVE, 28 October 2003
It is always a pleasure for me to interact with the people of KwaZulu-Natal, but it is more special when these people are believers from different faiths, gathered for the sole purpose of praying for an end to the road carnage that is devastating our province and country.
As we are meeting here today, the province and the country have experienced a shocking series of horrible accidents that killed a vast number of people in the most horrific manner imaginable. These freak accidents happened nowhere else but on our roads.
Just last weekend, we buried eighteen people who died at the tragedy in Tugela Ferry. Just as we were making arrangements to bury the victims of the Tugela Ferry tragedy, including a six-month old baby, we were told on Friday that eleven people had been killed at Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape in yet another freak runaway truck tragedy.
Late on Sunday night, we again heard terrible news that ten people were killed when a truck and a minibus taxi collided on the N2 between Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal and Piet Retief in Mpumalanga. The tragedy happened at the same spot where ten foreign tourists were killed when their bus overturned.
Surely there is more to this spate of freak tragedies that leave whole communities devastated and in mourning. This calls on us to seek the guidance of the almighty, and beg his divine intervention.
This gathering here today is the third of such gatherings that we as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport have organised in the province. We started three weeks ago in Umlazi's King Zwelithini stadium. Last Thursday we were at the Royal Agricultural Show-grounds in Pietermaritzburg. Today we are here with you and next week we will be in Empangeni. It is time that we pleaded, in our thousands, throughout the country to God for his intervention, in whatever name we may call him. Let us bow our heads and plead with our God, Allah, Rama, Unkulunkulu, Umveli, Modimo, Amadlozi, through all our diverse religions for divine intervention.
By ourselves alone, whether we legislate the most stringent road traffic laws, or no matter how harsh we punish offenders, without God being firmly on our side, we shall fail.
Bringing God closer to us and in partnership as all religious communities we have a common belief. We all agree that whatever God we believe in, God "helps those that help themselves".
Throughout our province and land, we must all do everything we can to end the road carnage. It is imperative on all leaders of religions, in all churches, mosques, temples, in all our places of worship, be they in formal structures or under trees, we must start preaching one message, "We want an end to this road carnage".
As we meet here in Ladysmith today, it has not fallen into penumbra of a forgotten past that on 10 July this year we buried eleven people in Ladysmith who died on 5 July 2003 as a result of a horrific road crash. The Zwane family lost four people, while the Skhosana family lost their four-year old child. We still mourn with you.
As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport we commit ourselves, as we have always done before, to assist in making arrangements for both the memorial service and the funeral. We are devastated by these incidents and as we pray let us not forget these families.
I want to repeat what I have always been saying that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport will always be available for any kind of assistance that may be requested by the bereaved families. These series of incidents have occurred at a time when the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is doing its best to put an end to these terrible incidents.
I feel that I must emphasize that we are currently beefing up the capacity of our Road Traffic Inspectorate to deal harshly with road traffic offenders. More than forty posts are being advertised to fill the existing gap in terms of personnel. More personnel will also be hired to make our Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU) bigger machinery that can deal swiftly with all types of road offences.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has the Mpimpa Hotline for you to phone when your see something wrong happening to help prevent catastrophes such as these. As members of various religious faiths, the greatest contribution we can make to the bereaved families is to ensure that their children who are left behind travel safely on our roads. You can call 086 221 1010 - your voice can save lives!
Once again I want to pass my sincere condolences to all bereaved families, friends and relatives of the deceased.
Contact: Jeff Cele, 083 451 9787
Issued by: Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
28 October 2003
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Ndebele: Ladysmith interfaith road safety initiative, KwaZulu-Natal
SPEECH BY THE KWAZULU-NATAL MEC FOR TRANSPORT, MR S'BU NDEBELE, DURING THE LADYSMITH INTERFAITH ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVE, 28 October 2003
It is always a pleasure for me to interact with the people of KwaZulu-Natal, but it is more special when these people are believers from different faiths, gathered for the sole purpose of praying for an end to the road carnage that is devastating our province and country.
As we are meeting here today, the province and the country have experienced a shocking series of horrible accidents that killed a vast number of people in the most horrific manner imaginable. These freak accidents happened nowhere else but on our roads.
Just last weekend, we buried eighteen people who died at the tragedy in Tugela Ferry. Just as we were making arrangements to bury the victims of the Tugela Ferry tragedy, including a six-month old baby, we were told on Friday that eleven people had been killed at Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape in yet another freak runaway truck tragedy.
Late on Sunday night, we again heard terrible news that ten people were killed when a truck and a minibus taxi collided on the N2 between Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal and Piet Retief in Mpumalanga. The tragedy happened at the same spot where ten foreign tourists were killed when their bus overturned.
Surely there is more to this spate of freak tragedies that leave whole communities devastated and in mourning. This calls on us to seek the guidance of the almighty, and beg his divine intervention.
This gathering here today is the third of such gatherings that we as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport have organised in the province. We started three weeks ago in Umlazi's King Zwelithini stadium. Last Thursday we were at the Royal Agricultural Show-grounds in Pietermaritzburg. Today we are here with you and next week we will be in Empangeni. It is time that we pleaded, in our thousands, throughout the country to God for his intervention, in whatever name we may call him. Let us bow our heads and plead with our God, Allah, Rama, Unkulunkulu, Umveli, Modimo, Amadlozi, through all our diverse religions for divine intervention.
By ourselves alone, whether we legislate the most stringent road traffic laws, or no matter how harsh we punish offenders, without God being firmly on our side, we shall fail.
Bringing God closer to us and in partnership as all religious communities we have a common belief. We all agree that whatever God we believe in, God "helps those that help themselves".
Throughout our province and land, we must all do everything we can to end the road carnage. It is imperative on all leaders of religions, in all churches, mosques, temples, in all our places of worship, be they in formal structures or under trees, we must start preaching one message, "We want an end to this road carnage".
As we meet here in Ladysmith today, it has not fallen into penumbra of a forgotten past that on 10 July this year we buried eleven people in Ladysmith who died on 5 July 2003 as a result of a horrific road crash. The Zwane family lost four people, while the Skhosana family lost their four-year old child. We still mourn with you.
As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport we commit ourselves, as we have always done before, to assist in making arrangements for both the memorial service and the funeral. We are devastated by these incidents and as we pray let us not forget these families.
I want to repeat what I have always been saying that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport will always be available for any kind of assistance that may be requested by the bereaved families. These series of incidents have occurred at a time when the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is doing its best to put an end to these terrible incidents.
I feel that I must emphasize that we are currently beefing up the capacity of our Road Traffic Inspectorate to deal harshly with road traffic offenders. More than forty posts are being advertised to fill the existing gap in terms of personnel. More personnel will also be hired to make our Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU) bigger machinery that can deal swiftly with all types of road offences.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has the Mpimpa Hotline for you to phone when your see something wrong happening to help prevent catastrophes such as these. As members of various religious faiths, the greatest contribution we can make to the bereaved families is to ensure that their children who are left behind travel safely on our roads. You can call 086 221 1010 - your voice can save lives!
Once again I want to pass my sincere condolences to all bereaved families, friends and relatives of the deceased.
Contact: Jeff Cele, 083 451 9787
Issued by: Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
28 October 2003
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