Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
15 April 2025 | 15:58 CAT

Law enforcement officials conduct roadside checks. Image Credits : SABC_News_Traffic_Flickr-1

With Easter around the corner, Gauteng’s roads are bracing for an expected surge in traffic volumes. In anticipation, the province’s MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, officially launched the Gauteng Easter Road Safety Campaign in Slovo Park, Johannesburg.

Speaking to Radio Islam International on behalf of the MEC, spokesperson Lesiba Mpya confirmed that the campaign aims to reduce the high number of road fatalities witnessed during the Easter period. “Gauteng becomes the centre, the epitome of traffic,” said Mpya. “We realise the volumes of traffic become high, especially during pilgrimages, and we are quite ready for it.”

Crucially, the campaign emphasizes a multi-agency effort, with law enforcement visibility across all major and minor roads. “There’s no major road that is not going to be carefully monitored,” said Mpya, assuring that an integrated approach involving national, provincial, and local traffic departments would be in full force throughout the province.

The campaign’s theme, It Starts With You, focuses on driver responsibility. Highlighting that 44% of Easter fatalities last year involved pedestrians, Mpya stressed the importance of road users adopting safe practices. “The responsibility is upon us. We carry the onus to ensure we drive these cars without consuming alcohol, without being fatigued, and with vehicles in good shape,” he said.

Recent statistics show a notable decline in road deaths during the December period, a development attributed to intensified law enforcement efforts. Authorities are determined to replicate that success this Easter.

Mpya further assured the public that surveillance will be both physical and digital. “We are going to be monitoring all our roads. It’s all systems go,” he said, adding that JMPD, EMPD, TMPD, and national traffic police are collaborating to ensure motorists comply with traffic laws.

“No vehicle is going to go unnoticed. From now until the end of the Easter season, there’s no room for reckless driving,” he concluded.

As South Africans prepare for Easter travels, authorities urge vigilance, responsibility, and compliance to make it a safe season for all.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and spokesperson Lesiba Mpya here.