Women come from afar for W Cape traffic event
Female traffic officers from over the Western Cape attended a Women’s Day event at Wilderness Hotel on Tuesday 21 August where Kenny Africa, Western Cape traffic chief, opened the programme.
Since 1994 when Women’s Day was instituted as a national holiday, staff from the chief directorate of traffic management have arranged and participated in various annual initiatives during Women’s Month, which include law enforcement operations and various empowerment activities and events.
Africa praised his female staff for their initiative. “As much as women were actively partaking in the struggle for liberation, they also took part in another great struggle: the union movement to seek recognition of their place as women workers, working next to their male counterparts, and not below them. Today we have equity plans in the workplace to ensure equity and equality,” he said. “Today I can proudly stand and say that our female officers can do what our male officers can do. I take my example from a number of amazingly brave incidents where it was reported that certain female officers have managed to pull off major drug busts and perlemoen confiscations during late night and early morning operations. I also know that the head of department has recognised these acts of courage with individual letters of appreciation.”
He said the Western Cape government recognises the value of female officials, which is evident in the rapid growth in the percentage of females in the traffic department. Females make up 48% of the total number of traffic officers in the province. He said, though, that in the province’s 13 traffic centres there are only three permanent female staff in charge, but the province has two director generals in traffic, one who oversees N1 Region and the other Road Safety Management. “We need to keep on working to ensure that more women excel and grab the opportunities to fill top positions in traffic.”
Africa thanked the women for their contribution towards achieving the mandate of provincial traffic. “Your role is highly valued, while we also realise the dual role that you play ... doing a shift in the office or on the road and when you get back home, your role changes into that of a mother, wife, the cook, the housekeeper, nurse, afterschool educator and whatever else.”
The women were inspired by various other speakers and enjoyed a delicious meal.