JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday wished South Africans well for the Easter holidays and called for the period to be observed in a spirit of tolerance, consideration and safety.
“There is no reason that our Easter holidays should be remembered for the number of lives lost or injuries incurred on our roads; this should be a period of rest and enjoyment where everyone who leaves home, returns safely," Ramaphosa said in a statement.
“Let us work together to prove that we can reduce death, injury and damage on our roads. It is our own behaviour that inflicts tragedy on families and costs on our economy. It is within us to change this."
Ramaphosa urged travellers to follow the rules of the road and to share the roads with fellow road users, including pedestrians. He said law-enforcement agencies would be on high alert and are instructed to apply the law as "stringently as possible for minor and serious offences alike".
“For those of us who will spend this period at home, let us make this a time of taking care of ourselves, our families and our neighbours. We should all be able to enjoy this time in conditions of safety so that all of us are available after these holidays to continue growing South Africa together," he said.
“I offer my best wishes to religious communities and the nation at large for the long weekend ahead.”