The Deputy-principal of Mthatha Community Full Service School, Nomvula Mjali, confirmed that the initiative hosted by the officials from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) would bring change to this school.
The officials hosted a Comprehensive Road Safety Programme at the school recently.
Mjali said the main challenge the school was facing was the high number of learners who were hit by cars while trying to cross the road just next to school. She confirmed that they had a boy learner (10) who was admitted in hospital due to car accident.
“Our school is next to a busy road, which puts lives of our learners at risk all the time. We are happy now because they had gained more knowledge and know what to do on the road.
“We are next to the road which goes to Wellington Prison and Police College, so the road is always busy. Again, we are next to the R61 road that is also busy,” said Mjali.
Mjali said that they had visited King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality several times to ask for speed humps, but although they were promised, nothing had happened up to now.
“The municipality came and did all the investigations, but we are still waiting. Our school has 1 500 learners; it is a full-service school because we are looking after children who also have special needs.”
The Manager for the Road Accident Fund (RAF), Siphamandla Gumbi, said that community members know that their responsibility is to compensate people who were involved in accidents. He said, however, that they work under rules which also allow them to contribute in decreasing the high rate of accidents, more especially those which involve learners and young people.
“When we look at the statistics, they are the ones who become affected.
“What we have done is that we chose 20 areas that are having a high rate of these incidents. Some of these places are here in Eastern Cape, more especially along the N2 road in the Eastern Cape, including Mthatha. The reason we call this initiative a Comprehensive Road Safety Programme for youth and learners is that when we have visited the school, we want to ensure that we do everything that can assist to decrease these accidents,” said Gumbi.
He added that they had hosted an Edutainment Road Safety Fun Day, when they called actors, including radio presenters, to educate learners about road safety through entertainment. Gumbi said they know that if they send a message through entertainment, the learners manage to retain it, other than just by telling them.
“We will come back to this area again to do an Industrial Theatre where professional actors will be educating them about Road Safety through acting.”
The spokesperson for King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Sonwabo Mampoza, confirmed that the tender for speed humps would be advertised soon and that it would be accommodated in the current financial year.
“Since the municipality is going to put speed humps next to this school, we appeal to drivers to slow down the speed. We can confirm that we have received a request so we are working on it,” said Mampoza.
