With the Easter season closing in,  the Vhembe District Municipality, in conjunction with various stakeholders such Road Safety Limpopo, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Mutale traffic officers, issued a warning to road users about the existence of stray animals in Mutale’s Niani area.

In areas such as Shakadza, Muswodi, Tshiungani and Tshipise-Zwigodini outside Mutale, the donkey cart is an important means of transport for villagers and many accidents happen as a result of stray animals along the roads. More than 70 donkey-cart owners in the Niani area recently received white belt reflectors and red flags as part as the 2012 Easter season safety campaign.

“We used to be involved in accidents with motor vehicles at the intersections of roads because we did not have white reflectors. We are grateful to the district municipality for its efforts to promote safety on our roads,” said Mr Fanuel Rantsana of Muswodi-Dipeni. Rantsana is one of more than 70 donkey-cart owners who received safety tips, white reflector belts and red flags to help promote safety on the roads.

The acting district executive mayor of Vhembe, Cllr Mihloti Ramoyada, urged people in Vhembe and visitors to the region to obey the laws and drive in a responsible manner.