Cape Town - The Western Cape Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie, together with ChildSafe South Africa, held a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in Belhar on Sunday.
The World Day of Remembrance event is observed globally on the third Sunday in November to remember the millions of people who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads and to acknowledge the suffering of all affected victims, families and communities.
The day has become an important tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties, as more than 1.3 million people die each year on the roads.
It offers an opportunity to draw attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes and to give recognition to the suffering of road crash victims and the work of support and rescue services.
“Road safety is everyone's responsibility, and our World Day of Remembrance showcased the power of collective actions, advocacy and agency within the communities we serve in Belhar and Delft, with our founder, Unicef, on board.
“Let us all continue to take responsibility for teaching our children the basics of road safety, especially our pedestrians, as almost 70% of our learners walk to school,” said Zaitoon Rabaney, ChildSafe South Africa executive director.
Mackenzie said he would like to acknowledge the remarkable men and women who work in emergency services and enforcement and are the first responders on the scene of traffic crashes. He said these teams can be the difference between injury and death.
“It is heartbreaking for me that even with our significant collaborative efforts to improve road safety, we still face a dire situation on our roads. This is no easy task, and it requires grit and determination to keep pushing forward.
“My prayer is that as we remember all the victims and their loved ones today, this will light a renewed fire for our collective efforts and draw in new partners and champions.
“We need to see harsher consequences for those who are responsible for road traffic crashes, and justice for the victims. We need better support for these victims and their families,” said Mackenzie.