Gauteng continues to experience a rapid rise in mobility, with the province now home to 5.5 million registered vehicles.
“If you break the law, you will be stopped.”
These are the words of Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, as the province gears up for the festive season.
Diale-Tlabela, joined by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy and Premier Panyaza Lesufi, officially launched the 2025 Gauteng Festive Season Road Safety Campaign along Winnie Mandela Drive near Diepsloot, Johannesburg, on Thursday.
Mobility
Held under the theme “E Thoma Ka Wena! It Starts With You,” the campaign emphasises pedestrian safety, responsible road behaviour, and intensified enforcement during the busy holiday travel period.
Diale-Tlabela said Gauteng continues to experience rapid mobility growth, with the province now home to 5.5 million registered vehicles.
She warned that this surge is likely to increase congestion and place additional pressure on law-enforcement officers, especially during peak travel times.
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“The reality is that more vehicles and more movement mean higher risk,” the MEC said. “Behind every fatal crash is a family in pain. This Festive Season, we are calling on every road user to make safer choices. E Thoma Ka Wena, It Starts With You.”
Pedestrian fatalities
Diale-Tlabela expressed concerns over the province’s pedestrian fatality burden.
According to the 2024/2025 festive season death toll, more than half of Gauteng’s road deaths involved pedestrians, with numbers rising during the festive season.
“This is not just a statistic, it is a crisis,” Diale-Tlabela added. “We are enhancing visibility, enforcing speed limits, and ramping up awareness in high-risk areas because too many lives are being lost on foot.”
Storms
Diale-Tlabela urged motorists planning long-distance trips to avoid night-time travel, noting that most fatal crashes occur after sunset.
She said recent heavy rains have damaged several roads across the province, reducing visibility and increasing crash risks.
“We advise road users to travel during daylight where possible and to slow down on wet or damaged surfaces. Your safety is in your hands.
Warning
As part of the campaign, law-enforcement teams will conduct intensive multi-disciplinary operations, targeting:
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Reckless and negligent driving
- Unroadworthy vehicles
- Overloading
- Pedestrian violations
Law
Diale-Tlabela said that public transport compliance and road maintenance teams will also be on standby to respond to hazardous road conditions and storm-related damage throughout the festive period.
“If you break the law, you will be stopped, checked. Our priority is simple: every person must arrive home safely.”
The Gauteng Provincial Government called on communities, public transport operators, pedestrians, and motorists to work together to reduce crashes and save lives.
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