Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) has launched an Accident Prevention Training programme called “Masibe Safe Everyday” in Orange Farm.
The training programme will empower 30 young people who are not in employment, education and training (NEET) in Orange Farm, Ward 4, with user-friendly and practical content that seeks to educate and positively influence behaviour amongst pedestrians. The programme will run from July to September 2022.
The programme is informed by statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and South African Police Service (SAPS), which indicate that pedestrian fatalities contribute 40% of all road fatalities.
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. The partners include Gauteng Department of Community Safety, Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Emergency Services (EMS) City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and non-profit organisation, Kasi Road Safety.
The training programme will cover topics such as jaywalking, dangerous behaviour on the road, 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, the learners will participate in a Debating Competition where they will have to apply the knowledge that they have acquired for a grand prize.
All participants will receive a certificate, which they can add to their CV’s when seeking out future opportunities.
TETA aims to ensure that skills development and training programmes are implemented, specifically focusing on the transport sector. Accident prevention initiatives that contribute towards making communities safer are a top priority for the organisation. Every sphere of society must contribute towards creating safer roads and mobility, safer cars, safer drivers and safer communities.
In addition to the high road carnage statistics, young people who are not in employment, education, and training (NEET) in the area, are 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 who will be one of the training programme facilitators was also present at the launch event. “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” said Mogweng. He encouraged young people to take the knowledge they acquire and share with their families and the broader community.
Maphefo Anno-Frempong, CEO of TETA says, “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 programmes. Families are often left destitute as the ‘bread winners” 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”.
Amongst the stakeholders in attendance at the project launch, was the Community Safety Forum, which has a very active Youth Desk. The focus of the Youth Desk is crime prevention and working closely with the Community Policing Forum in the area. The youth desk is based at the local police station and is well-placed to respond to community safety challenges that affect the youth.
Speaking as a representative of the Youth Desk, Thokozani Maringa said, “Orange Farm is often regarded as an undesirable township in the province and has recently become a hijacking hotspot.
This programme is the first of its kind that is being implemented in the area and is a great opportunity for young people to empower themselves. 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 expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for working towards uplifting the community. He encouraged the selected participates to show commitment to the training programme and use the knowledge to shape their community for good.
Dineo Maseko, Principal Road Safety Officer, Gauteng Department of Community Safety appealed to all road users to be responsible for their own behavior.
“Pedestrians are sometimes misinformed and think that drivers are responsible for their safety. This is a myth that needs to be challenged. 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 behavior”.
The launch event also supported and showcased various talented young artists from Orange Farm, including a dance group, a local theatre outfit and a poet, who delivered powerful, but entertaining messages appealing to all road users to consider the far-reaching consequences of their reckless behavior. Supporting local, young artists is also a good way of investing in the local economy.
Anno-Frempong concluded, “Road safety cannot be tackled alone. 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”.
