The Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) has launched a road accident prevention programme called “Masibe Safe Everyday” in Orange Farm.
The programme will empower 30 young people, who are Not in Employment, Education, and Training (NEET).
These youths from Orange Farm, Ward 4, will be trained in user-friendly and practical content that seeks to educate and positively influence behaviour among pedestrians.
The programme, which will run from July to September 2022, is informed by statistics provided by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and South African Police Service (SAPS), which indicate that pedestrian fatalities make up 40% of all road deaths.
Furthermore, the report states that the largest proportion of fatalities is within the age group 25 to 39, which accounts for 41,6% of all fatalities.
TETA has partnered with various stakeholders to support the roll-out of the programme.
TETA partners include the Gauteng Department of Community Safety (GDCS), Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), Emergency Services (EMS), City of Johannesburg, and non-profit organisation, Kasi Road Safety.
The training programme will cover topics such as jaywalking, dangerous behaviour on the road, and defensive walking.
The content will be facilitated by subject matter experts from JMPD, EMS and GDCS and Kasi Road Safety.
At the end of September, participants will have a chance to win a grand prize by simply participating in a debating competition based on the knowledge acquired from the programme.
All participants will receive a certificate.
In addition to the high road carnage statistics, young people in the area who are NEET remain idle and vulnerable to negative influences.
Programmes such as Masibe Safe Everyday do not only empower youth with training and skills development to enable them to access employment opportunities, but they also provide an alternative to criminal activities.
JMPD representative, Officer Lesedi Mogweng said: “It is not only cars that cause accidents and deaths, but pedestrians also have a responsibility.
“We do education and awareness programmes in primary school, but young people do forget as they grow older.”
Mogweng, who will be one of the training programme facilitators, encouraged young people to share the knowledge they will acquire with their families and the broader community.
Maphefo Anno-Frempong, CEO of TETA said: “R1.3 billion is spent globally to manage road carnage. Many young people perish on our roads, most of them as pedestrians.”
“This has a negative impact on the country’s socio-economic programmes and further creates a burden on the country’s already overburdened social welfare.
“Families are often left destitute after breadwinners perish on the road. Over and above the loss of lives and livelihoods, we lose unrealised potential of the people who perish on the roads”.
Stakeholders at the project launch included the Community Safety Forum, which has a Youth Desk, based at the local police station, making it well-placed to respond to community safety challenges that affect young people.
Youth Desk representative, Thokozani Maringa, said: “Orange Farm is often regarded as an undesirable township in the province and has recently become a hijacking hotspot”.
The programme is the first of its kind implemented in the area and is a great opportunity for young people to empower themselves.
Maringa added: “Orange Farm needs social upliftment through empowerment initiatives from various stakeholders such as TETA. We need more initiatives where government entities partner with the private sector”.
Maringa thanked all stakeholders and urged selected participants to show commitment to the training programme and use the knowledge they will gain to better their community.
GDCS Principal Road Safety Officer Dineo Maseko appealed to all road users to be responsible.
“Pedestrians are sometimes misinformed and think that drivers are responsible for their safety,” Maseko said.
“This is a myth that needs to be challenged.”
Maseo added: “In the same way that a pedestrian can be distracted having their earphones on and expect not to be bumped by drivers, similarly a driver can be easily distracted. Everyone must take responsibility for their own behaviour”.
The launch event showcased various talented young artists from Orange Farm, including a dance group, a local theatre outfit, and a poet.
Anno-Frempong warned that “road safety cannot be tackled alone”, adding: “This is why we constantly look for strategic partners to support us in implementing programmes to tackle the social ills that limit the potential of young people to meaningfully contribute to our society and the economy. Together we can achieve and do more”.
