WATCH: Soccer personalities partner with Diageo to change attitudes toward drinking and driving

High-profile soccer personalities gathered at the social-trendy Konka Lounge in Soweto to launch a new initiative to reduce drinking and driving.

Dubbed “Wrong Side of the Road” the initiative uses online interaction between consumers and prominent individuals to share real life experience of trouble that arise from driving under the influence of alcohol.

Developed in partnership with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Wrong Side of the Road is financed by the SA’s leading drinks company, Diageo South Africa which owns several spirits brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Ciroc, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.

Amongst those present at Konka to launch and support the campaign were former Mamelodi Sundowns long-serving captain Hlompho Kekana, former Chiefs and Pirates striker Phumlani Mkhize, SuperSport United experienced striker Bradley Globler and Banyana Banyana coach, Desiree Ellis.

Former Kaizer Chiefs star, Junior Khanye, who is no stranger to finding himself on the Wrong Side of the Road, leads the platform with a series of videos that tells of his incident of drinking and driving. Khanye seemed destined to graduate to stardom but his promising career at one of the biggest teams in the country was side-tracked by off field distractions.

“I crashed into four cars. Two cars were beyond repair and two I had to repair. I lost a R2 million house I had at the time as well as the car. What is more sad are the injuries I caused on other people. One of the motorists involved in the accident was in a comma for three day and others badly injured. It is regrettable,” said Khanye.

Banyana’s Desiree Ellis who hails from Hanover Park in Cape Town said she has first-hand experience of witnessing