KwaZulu-Natal is Training Ground for the Nation, says Ndebele

It is not a mistake that KwaZulu Natal is training ground for South Africa, especially in transport, said KZN Minister S’bu Ndebele.

Ndebele – whose distinguished caliber as a leader of government business and politician is praised - told delegates that attended the country’s fifth driver of the year competitions that the fact that the Zulu word, KwaZulu, means heaven, and that the word Natal means birth, was enough justification for the province to keep up its status of being bacon light for other provinces and indeed the whole of South Africa.

Mr Ndebele pointed out that a number of people who were groomed at the Department of Transport in KwaZulu Natal are now in top strategic positions in other provinces as well as the national Department of Transport.

Ndebele’s renowned programmes, which get started in this province and are adopted by other provinces and national government, have earned him the respect and acknowledgement that he deserves.

The minister congratulated organizers and participants for a job well done, especially for the inclusion of women in this new non-sexist South Africa, and ensuring that all provinces took part.

He said: "I was supposed to celebrate my birthday in peace, but I ended up being sad because I was regretting the passing of so many lives. For the past month, driving has earned a very bad and atrocious reputation. It started with 7 journalists in Gauteng returning from the Masakhane Games – speed was the problem.

"Again 14 people died in Potgieter Street in a collision involving a taxi. As though that was not enough, 18 people were killed when a truck veered off the road in Tugela Ferry, closely followed by the Mount Freer bus inferno, which claimed the lives of 38 people. Enough is enough," Ndebele mourned.

Mr Ndebele said that the competition is not a destination but a journey towards the creation of a road safety society. He explained: "When we talk of the number of people who die in road accidents, we are not just talking about statistics. It is human beings. They are somebody’s brother, and they are somebody’s husband, daughter, wife, aunt or uncle."

"When we started the Siyabakhumbulu (We Remember Them) programme, we were heartened by the support we received from the religious community, the artists, the independent media and everybody identified with that programme," he recalled.

Mr Ndebele said the Siyabakhumbula programme has been revived and taken the form of inter-faith summits for road safety to unite religious leaders to pray for the reduction of road accidents.

The minister referred to the taxi driver development programme his Department had started, with its emphasis on customer care, business skills, dispute resolution, professional driving and defensive driving.

He pointed out: "Farm workers who drive tractors have been most neglected - we are talking about the kind of drivers who might have 15 to 20 years of experience driving without a license. The Road Traffic Inspectorate will take them through a learner driving programme. They will do learners and a driver’s license test."

Mr Ndebele warned that "all this will be nothing if the drivers themselves don’t care. If the thriving for perfection is not an urge for all of us, then there will always be problems. You don’t want someone who doesn’t want to strive for excellence.

Referring to those who took part in the competition, Mr Ndebele pointed out: "People here took their licenses 15 to 20 years ago, but in putting themselves to the test by taking part in the contest, they are effectively making a statement that says they still want to be even better drivers.

He added: "This is good for business and for their personal fulfillment. The mere entrance in the contest means that they have confidence in their driving skills. Confidence is crucial for success in any activity."

Mr Ndebele said that those who failed their driver tests often failed not because of the lack of skill, but because of the lack of confidence. The contest focuses on heavy vehicles because statistics prove that it is these types of vehicles that are involved in collisions, he said.

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