Members from Tsela Consulting hosted their final workshop, where they exhibited their posters as they were working with a team of youth from Libode on a road safety photovoice project, sponsored by the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL), Tuesday, July 11.
This event was held at Libode Community Hall in Libode.
One of the facilitators, Monde Mayephu, said that photovoice is a research project and they were sent by SANRAL to collect information about road safety in the community.
He said that among the information they gathered, it was found that there are a lot of stray animals on R61, which has led to unnecessary accidents.
Monde Mayephu said,
According to him, some of those access roads are on blind spots, which mean that drivers are unable to see them from far.
He said that especially if the driver is not familiar with these roads it is hard for them to know that there is an access road far ahead, so they should reduce their speed.
“SANRAL sent us to gather this information; we then give it to them so that they can talk to their own engineers with the possibility that they would come back to the community and discuss how they could solve these challenges.”
He confirmed that they empowered 10 young people from this area with skills, and hoped that they would become ambassadors of road safety.
Mayephu said that they hoped that they would also be used by local community road safety when they were doing their awareness campaigns.
One of the young people who took part in this research, Zozibini Jojo, said that this programme had taught her a lot.
She said for instance that she used to think that it’s normal to transport learners on the back of bakkies.
“Those vehicles were only made to transport goods not people,” said Jojo.
She added that she would make sure that she educates learners and the local community members about safety on the road.
“I will ensure that I pass my knowledge to them so that we do not lose more lives on the road.”
According to the SANRAL Southern Region’s manager, Mbulelo Peterson, this is part of a SANRAL research project. This research will be summarised in an upcoming report.
“Based on the outcomes of the research, SANRAL will review the content, and where supported and practical, will then consider how the findings by the youth can be further developed and implemented,” said Peterson.
