Tuesday afternoon saw the Kaizer Chiefs first team make an appearance as part of the KwaZulu/Natal Department of Transportations pedestrian safety campaign, otherwise known as the Asiphephe initiative at the Claremont community centre in Durban.

With the number of pedestrian fatalities rising year on year in the province, the KwaZulu/Natal MEC For Transportation Mr. Bheki Cele decided to declare 2007 the year of the pedestrian and embarked on a bold, educational and awareness campaign which would be able to make a break through and get a message across to both pedestrians and drivers about how adhering to simple road safety rules could save lives.

Namely th Asiphephe campaign was born and since March this year Chiefs have been visiting schools and various communities in and around Durban, preaching the message to pedestrians about taking precautions when making use of the roads. On Tuesday they were joined at a packed community hall in Claremont along with the MEC, as various members of the Chiefs first team addressed the crowd handing out road safety advice.

Chiefs assistance appreciated

Mr Cele said of Chiefs appearance in Claremont as part of the Asiphephe campaign “In KwaZulu/Natal football has always been regarded as the language of the people. Footballers are looked upon as role models thus far we have had resounding success with Chiefs going around the province lending their voices to our pedestrian safety campaign”. The MEC further added “with Chiefs throwing their voices behind this campaign we are hoping that the public will heed the messages and implement the tips being given to them and if they do this the loss of lives will be prevented”.

Stark reality

As part of the campaign the KwaZulu/Natal department of transport having gone for shock tactics in showing video footage of what can happen if basic laws of the road are not applied to.

Chiefs defender Derrick Spencer who hails from KwaZulu/Natal encouraged the crowd to adhere to the road safety tips and said. “We all seen this video footage and we saw the gruesome nature of road accidents, the loss of life is one part there are also people who survive these accidents but lose limbs and have to live for years after wards with a disability.

In truth all of this could have been avoided if we took little steps towards ensuring our own safety, in order for us to prevent what we have viewed on the screens happening to us or our families let us take preventative measures as demonstrated in the Asiphephe guide books”.