“Arrive Alive” Road Safety Campaign Kicks Off in Kimberley for Festive Season

Kimberley – The 2023 Road Safety “Arrive Alive” Festive Season Campaign was officially launched on Friday, 08 December 2023, by the MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Me Nomandla Bloem, at the N12 weighbridge in Kimberley. This initiative is a crucial step towards enhancing road safety during the holiday period.

According to South African Police Service, Safety and Liaison, the launch event was attended by key figures including the HOD Rodney Pieterse, acting HOM Me Margaret Molefe, Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection Maj Gen Mmantsheke Lekhele, Frances Baard District Commissioner Maj Gen Johan Bean, and representatives from community police, labor unions, SANTAGO, and other relevant stakeholders.

The campaign commenced with an opening prayer by Colonel Pieter Jansen, followed by a welcoming address from HOD Rodney Pieterse, who stressed the critical importance of road safety. Maj Gen Lekhele, delivering a message of support, highlighted the SAPS’s commitment to increased patrols and a zero-tolerance approach to traffic violations.

MEC Bloem, in her keynote address, identified drinking and driving as a major cause of road fatalities. She outlined the campaign’s strategy, which includes roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints, fatigue education, and continuous operations to enforce traffic laws.

Nonkoliseko Joka, the Provincial Deputy Director for Road Safety, presented the Festive Season Road Safety Plan for 2023. A significant moment of the event was the signing of a pledge by principals from the SAPS, Transport Safety and Liaison, and traffic chiefs across the province, committing to road safety measures.

Further bolstering the campaign, MEC Bloem handed over seven new traffic vehicles, enhancing the capacity for policing road traffic offenses. Acting HOM for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Me Margaret Molefe, concluded the event with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all stakeholders involved in ensuring road safety.

The campaign’s second phase involved direct engagement with motorists at the N12 Roadblock, where MEC Bloem, Maj Gen Lekhele, and their team distributed safety pamphlets and marketing materials. During the roadblock, which was active from 10:00 to 12:00, police officers stopped and searched 131 vehicles and 380 persons, resulting in the issuance of 8 traffic fines totaling R6250-00.

The “Arrive Alive” campaign will continue throughout the festive season and beyond, with ongoing roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints to maintain road safety and prevent accidents and criminal activities on Northern Cape roads.