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Are you cautious enough on the roads?

18 April 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba

Be Safe on road — Be safe on the roads: Prevention is better than a hospital ward or coffin.

Safety starts with you, non-compliance ends you. A traffic spike over the Easter holidays does not justify disobeying road rules. The university is counting on all students, both drivers and pedestrians, to continue prioritising safety on the roads.

Don’t be a statistic, take responsibility
The 2018 Preliminary Easter Road Safety Report issued by the Department of Transport, indicated that most accidents were caused by irresponsibility. “In 2018, human factor contributed 89,5% to crashes as compared to the 74,3% in 2017. The number of jay-walking pedestrians killed on our roads also increased to 38% as compared to 25,2% in 2017,” said Minister of Transport, Blade Nzimande.

The university implores you to play a role in reducing these numbers in 2019.

On driving and cellphones
According to Arrive Alive, the use of communication devices while driving is prohibited. “No person shall drive a vehicle on a public road while holding a cellular or mobile telephone or any other communication device in one or both hands or with any other part of the body, unless such a device is affixed to the vehicle or is part of the fixture in the vehicle.”

Pedestrian duties
Pedestrians are encouraged to practice caution when using sidewalks and while crossing the road. When walking, face oncoming traffic and pay attention to traffic signs so as not to constitute a source of danger to yourself or to traffic.

Safe speed saves lives
A general speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour shall apply to all public roads within urban areas, 100 kilometres per hour on public roads, and 120 kilometres per hour on freeways. Abide by these speed limits, unless stated otherwise by traffic signs.

More tips on drunken driving, wearing seat belts, and other aspects of road safety are easily available on the Arrive Alive website.

News Archive

UFS to get transformation plan for African context

2005-02-04

The University of the Free State is to draft a comprehensive Transformation Plan to give impetus to the process of making the UFS an inclusive, non-racial, non-sexist, multi-cultural and multi-lingual university within the African context.

Delivering a keynote speech at the Official Opening of the UFS today, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, said the Transformation Plan would include aspects such as employment equity, institutional culture, academic excellence, and other elements.

He added that another aspect to be considered in the academic element of the Transformation Plan was the issue of the African context, of a university for Africa, in Africa, of the African university.

According to Prof Fourie, the best way of understanding the role of the UFS in Africa and for Africa, is for the university to become a truly engaged university that bridges the gap between the institution and the community. He said the UFS had for more than 10 years been at the forefront of transformation in higher education, and had gone through several phases of transformation. However the UFS needed to embark on a new phase of transformation which would be guided by a comprehensive Transformation Plan.

The Transformation Plan would be the result of an inclusive consultation process involving staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders. It would also be based on a review of current policies and practices.
The process would be led by a Transformation Plan Team, co-ordinated by the Vice-Rector: Academic Operations, Prof Teuns Verschoor, and the Vice-Rector: Student Affairs, Dr Ezekiel Moraka.

“Obviously we should also not underestimate the complexities of transformation and of building a new society, given our complex history and the legacies of poverty, underdevelopment, colonialism and apartheid.

“We must consider support for staff involved in these transformation steps, including appropriate staff development, capacity to support transformation processes, as well as flexible and supportive administrative practices,” Prof Fourie said.

He said the UFS management understood the urgency of transformation in the current democratic South Africa and the changing global environment and appealed to staff and students to participate fully in drafting the Transformation Plan for the UFS.

“Transformation at the UFS has been and will continue to be a process with many facets that seek to enhance excellence in all spheres of university life, and is much more than merely ensuring employment equity,” he said.

Prof Fourie said: “We have reached a historic moment in the life of the UFS where innovative thinking and bold steps yet again are necessary because failure is not an option.”

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
4 February 2005

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