The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL’s) has urged all road users to exercise extreme caution ahead of and during the Easter holidays. SANRAL’s head of stakeholder relations, Siphiwo Mxhosa, says South African road users, including motorists and pedestrians, can save lives by practising responsible behaviour.

“SANRAL urges all South African road users to help save lives by complying with the basic rules of the road. Motorists must not drink and drive, nor should they use cell phones whilst driving. We still find that many people text whilst driving; this is not only illegal but illogical because you will cause an accident when you take your eyes off the road and don’t have both your hands on the steering wheel. Pedestrians can also prevent accidents by using only safe crossings. We can all save lives by doing such basics and respecting the rules of the road,” said Mr Mxhosa.

SANRAL participated in a drive to promote responsible road user behaviour ahead of the Easter holidays and to showcase road infrastructure development during the SUV Challenge – Eastern Cape Tour, which ended at Baviaanskloof on Saturday. The SUV Challenge is a public-private partnership incorporating a host of private sector entities partnering with state entities such as Brand South Africa and SANRAL, as well as various municipalities.

The SUV Challenge provided SANRAL with a platform to engage a broad range of stakeholders participating in the event, collaborating on areas of mutual interest on infrastructure development and, through the WHOA Activation at the proposed Kokstad Interchange, encouraged responsible road user behaviour.

“SANRAL encourages responsible road user behaviour and as participants in the SUV Challenge we shared this message with stakeholders in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Part of the SUV Challenge was to participate in a heritage tour, putting on display for participants the region’s attractions and thereby promoting tourism, whilst also showcasing SANRAL’s world-class infrastructure. We also shared information on SANRAL’s scholarship and bursary programmes,” said Mr Mxhosa.

Mbulelo Peterson, SANRAL’s Southern Region Manager, said the roads agency was focussed on ensuring that the road network in the Eastern Cape promoted economic development in support of government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Programme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The infrastructure development programmes emphasised by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his recent State of the Nation Address, as well as in the Budget Speech of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, makes it clear that the road network is critically important to economic growth. In addition to promoting regional economic growth and job creation, SANRAL’s mandate extends beyond the design and construction of safer roads. Our Horizon 2030 Strategy also stresses road safety as a national priority and ensures our role in road safety education and awareness,” said Peterson.

The SUV Challenge – Eastern Cape Tour is a social initiative that was launched in 2018 by the Honourable Premier Oscar Mabuyane, then the MEC for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

The SUV Challenge – Eastern Cape Tour started with a WHOA Activation at the Kokstad Interchange on Wednesday, 03 March.  WHOA, which is a SANRAL campaign to communicate road safety messages to the public was launched in Kokstad ahead of the Easter holidays.

Included in the heritage tour was a visit to Mbongweni, the birthplace of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. SANRAL will construct a 32km access road to Mbongweni from the R61 near Bizana, in Mbizana Local Municipality within the Alfred Nzo District.

SANRAL also shared messages of responsible road user behaviour and scholarship and bursary information with residents at Nkantolo, the home of the late Oliver Tambo, as well as Mqhekezweni Great Place, home of the late President Nelson Mandela.