GOOD Statement by Siyabulela Mamkeli,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
20 August 2026
The GOOD Party welcomes the City of Cape Town’s updated Road Safety Strategy and supports its adoption, particularly its recognition that road deaths are not simply caused by individual behaviour but are the result of a wider transport system that must protect all road users.
The Strategy correctly adopts the Safe System Approach, which acknowledges that human beings make mistakes and that government has a responsibility to design safer roads, safer transport systems and safer communities.
However, we are concerned that the Strategy does not provide sufficient detail on the budgetary commitments required to turn these principles into meaningful action on the ground.
A policy document alone will not prevent the hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries that occur on Cape Town’s roads every year.
The City’s own data is alarming:
– More than 72,000 crashes were recorded in 2024.
– These crashes resulted in 704 fatalities and more than 15,000 injuries.
– Pedestrians accounted for approximately 72% of fatalities in 2024.
– Vulnerable road users, including children, elderly residents, cyclists and people with disabilities, continue to carry the greatest burden of road trauma.
The Strategy itself recognises that unsafe road environments, poor pedestrian infrastructure, limited public transport access, inadequate lighting and spatial inequality contribute to these tragedies.
This acknowledgement must now be matched with investment.
The City must provide clear budget allocations for:
– Safe pedestrian infrastructure in vulnerable communities;
– Sidewalks and accessible pathways;
– Safe crossings near schools and public facilities;
– Street lighting and maintenance;
– Traffic calming measures;
– Programmes that protect residents who walk because they have no alternative transport options.
We are particularly concerned about the absence of a stronger commitment towards community-based safety programmes such as Walking Bus initiatives, which have proven valuable in protecting children travelling to and from school.
A child walking to school, an elderly person crossing a busy road, or a person living with a disability navigating unsafe infrastructure should not have their safety determined by whether their neighbourhood has received adequate investment.
The Strategy correctly identifies the importance of community participation and shared responsibility. This must include empowering communities to become active partners in road safety through initiatives such as Walking Bus, school safety programmes, local safety partnerships and area-based interventions.
The example of the Khayelitsha-Lingelethu West District Safety Plan demonstrates that targeted, community-focused interventions can make a difference when government departments, communities and stakeholders work together.
However, such programmes require dedicated resources, coordination and accountability.
The GOOD Party therefore calls on the City to accompany the Road Safety Strategy with:
1. A funded implementation plan with clear annual targets;
2. A public road safety performance dashboard;
3. A ward-based approach identifying high-risk areas;
4. Dedicated funding for vulnerable communities;
5. The expansion of pedestrian safety programmes, including Walking Bus and school safety initiatives.
Road safety is not only about traffic enforcement. It is about dignity, equality and ensuring that every resident, regardless of where they live, their age or their physical ability, can move safely through the city.
We support the Strategy, but we will continue to hold the City accountable to ensure that it becomes a lived reality for residents and not another document gathering dust.
Media Enquiries: media@forgood.org.za