EMALAHLENI – South Africa loses more than 12,000 lives each year to road crashes, with young people making up just over 50% of fatalities and pedestrians accounting for nearly 45%.
To put it differently, this means at least 32 people die on the roads daily, while about 157 sustain serious injuries, with at least 3 daily fatalities in Mpumalanga. These crashes cost the South African economy about R200 billion a year, which is about 3% of the national GDP. Road fatalities alone cost the country more than R3 billion each year. In an attempt to flatten the curve of these avoidable deaths, the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL) recently hosted a road safety awareness programme with school learners from four schools across different districts in the province.
The event, held on 23 August at the Ridge Hotel in eMalahleni, brought together learners and educators in a dynamic session, equipping them with practical knowledge and solutions to tackle South Africa’s ongoing road safety challenges.
The 20 Grade 10 and 11 pupils that participated were from four schools Skhwahlane Secondary School (Ehlanzeni), Takheni Secondary School (Gert Sibande), Skhila Secondary School (Bohlabela), and Hlalakahle Secondary School (Nkangala).
“Research has shown that young people are one of the highest risk groups when it comes to road safety,” said DCSSL spokesperson Makhosazana Chikunga. “Risky behaviours such as jaywalking, using cellphones while walking, not wearing seatbelts and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol put young lives in danger. Through programmes like Participatory Education Technique, we want to instil a culture of responsibility and safety at an early age.”
The Department emphasised that pedestrian safety remains a critical focus area, as pedestrians represent almost half of all road fatalities. Officials highlighted that addressing this issue could significantly contribute to achieving the World Health Organisation’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030.
The eMalahleni event was lively and engaging, featuring spirited learner presentations as well as a dance competition during deliberations. The learners highlighted common road safety challenges, including distracted pedestrians, reckless driving, unsafe infrastructure, and weak law enforcement.
The competition required learners to present solutions to real road safety problems, particularly focusing on pedestrian jaywalking and traffic-related accidents. The students proposed solutions like fixing potholes and marking pedestrian walkways, introducing mandatory speed-limit checkpoints and enforcing accountability through measures like requiring traffic officers to wear body cameras.
Skhwahlane Secondary School won the Urban category while Skhila Secondary School won the Rural category. Both schools will represent Mpumalanga at the national competition in Gauteng between 6-10 October.
“I hope that the project has empowered learners with improved public speaking and presentation skills, and also helped them become more involved in their communities’ road safety solutions,” said Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Anisha Panday.
The Department of Education voiced strong support for the initiative. “These are not just competitions,” said a departmental representative Natacia Minyuku. “This programme is about educating our learners and their communities on the importance of road safety. We will continue to support the DCSSL on road safety in ensuring young people carry these lessons back home to help create safer communities.”
Chikunga added: “The aim is not just to educate but to inspire, these learners are the future leaders of our roads and with the right knowledge and attitude, they can help us reduce crashes and save thousands of lives.”
