As part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s sweeping new changes to the Cabinet, we welcome the appointment of Dr Blade Nzimande to the post of Minister of Transport.
We look forward to working with Dr Nzimande on issues affecting road users particularly road safety. Dr Nzimande is a seasoned campaigner within government, and we believe this experience will serve him well in his new position.
Road safety remains a massive challenge in our country. In the last five years more than 65 000 people have died on South African roads, devastating countless families and communities. This untenable situation requires urgent intervention from all role-players in the transport sector including government, industry and NGOs such as the AA.
The financial cost to the economy is estimated at R143 billion annually according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). Dealing effectively with road safety will return this money back into the national fiscus, underscoring the level of priority road safety must enjoy under the new minister.
We look forward to engaging Dr Nzimande on these and other issues, as we work together to make South African roads a safer place for all road users.