Families and community members united in Sebokeng to pay tribute to the 14 pupils who tragically lost their lives in a devastating scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark earlier this year.
South Africa's roads have become the backdrop for a tragedy so familiar that many no longer notice its scale.
Every year, between 11,000 and 12,000 people lose their lives in road crashes. With a road fatality rate of 21 deaths per 100,000 people - double the global average. The country faces one of the most severe road safety crises in the world.
Yet, experts gathered at a recent roundtable hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) in Rosebank argued that these deaths are neither inevitable nor random. They are the outcome of decisions about infrastructure, transport planning, public policy and human behaviour.
"We have an extreme and deep care for lives on the road," said Vishaal Lutchman, Group CEO of GIBB and a member of the SAAE Executive Committee.
