Road Safety Partnership South Africa (RSP-SA) convened its Annual General Meeting, bringing together government, corporate partners, and civil society to address the nation’s road safety crisis and place emphasis on the importance of collaborative cooperation in saving lives.
The AGM featured presentations on the organisation’s financial standing and year-long activities and achievements, with speakers emphasising that road safety requires a unified, multi-sectoral approach.
Three pillars of road safety
Bobby Ramagwede, CEO of the Automobile Association of South Africa (AASA), outlined the three critical factors the Association believes underpin road safety: road user behaviour, vehicle safety status and technology, and infrastructure. Ramagwede stresses: “Addressing the situation on the roads demands attention to all three elements simultaneously.”
Partnership drives road safety
Talitha Sachane, Corporate Affairs and CSI Manager at TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa, highlighted the VIA Safety Programme, a global initiative launched by the Michelin and TotalEnergies Foundations and delivered by Road Safety Partnership South Africa (RSP-SA) locally. “Peer-to-peer learning of VIA proves more effective when young people speak to each other about road safety.
“This safety programme is a tangible illustration that if all South Africans leverage their efforts collectively, we can make a bigger change,” says Sachane.
Sameera Munshi, Operations Manager at Anglo American Foundation, highlighted their work with RSP-SA. “The only CSI initiative our organisation supported for a second round, was the ‘Safe-to-School, Safe-to-Home’ programme.
“Success in road safety depends on working together. It is not a foundation, it is not a corporate organisation, it is not one person who makes a difference – it is a collective effort,” says Munshi.
The Senior Manager of Road Safety at the Road Accident Fund revealed a sobering statistic: four children die every day on South African roads. “It is clear that problems faced on the roads encompasses all stakeholders, requiring comprehensive collaboration from all.”
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, addressed critical priorities including better coordination between governmental sectors to enforce road safety, increased focus on pedestrian safety through education, and strategic expansion of rail infrastructure to reduce the burden on road networks.
A panel discussion reaffirmed that improved road safety requires commitment across all sectors is essential within road safety for youth. Representatives from SANTACO, RSP-SA, the Department of Education and the Roaf Traffic Management Corporation provided perspectives on how scholar transport can be transformed to suit South Africa’s needs.
A Bioethicist, Dr Gale Ure, provided a moving presentation on the devastating impact of road crashes on families, adding a deeply human dimension to policy discussions.
Inaugural Chairman’s Awards
The AGM concluded with Chairman’s Awards recognising outstanding contributions:
- Private Sector Award to AASA, acknowledging the organisation’s exceptional contribution to road safety, accepted by CEO Bobby Ramagwede.
- RSP Partnership Award to Ntobeko Mogadime, honoured for her commitment and dedication to RSP-SA
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Eugene Herbert, CEO of MasterDrive, recognised for exceptional contributions to road safety
RSP-SA reinforced the message that road safety is everyone’s responsibility, requiring sustained collaboration from all sectors of South Africa.