The National Road Safety Council has raised concerns that strategies created to bring about safer roads are not aligned and do not complement each other.

The National Road Safety Strategy was, therefore, crafted to help the different stakeholders to collaborate more efficiently. The collaboration agreement aims to align stakeholders’ activities to the national road safety strategy. 

Thus far, stakeholders, such as the ministries of works and transport, mines and energy, health and social services, as well as the education ministry and various local authorities have signed the multi-party agreement.

This information is contained in the 2018/2019 NRSC report, which was tabled in the National Assembly for consideration last week by the parliamentary standing committee on economics and public administration.

NRSC raised concern regarding the diverse strategies in that they are expected to promote road safety and advice the Minister of Works and Transport on the road safety strategy in Namibia. 

“Roads Authority (RA), for instance, is responsible for the Namibian Traffic Identification System (Natis), and the licensing and registration of vehicles. With the enactment of the Road Safety Management Bill, which is currently with the Cabinet Committee on Legislation (CCL), issues of fragmentation will be addressed,” the report states. 

The bill is also intended to enable change by providing for the continued existence of the central road safety fund, the repeal of the Road Safety Act 9 of 1972 and the provision of matters incidental therewith.

The bill is also expected to set up a road safety agency that will ensure road safety is efficiently planned and managed.

It is envisaged that such an agency will put in place measures to limit the death rate on Namibian roads every year.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration performs parliamentary oversight on the activities and programmes relating to the Ministry of Works and Transport as well as state-owned enterprises and statutory bodies that resort under it.

The 2018/2019 Annual Report of the NRSC was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration in June 2020 for further consideration and scrutiny – and to report back to the National Assembly.

As one of the key stakeholders of the standing committee, the chairperson, members of the board of the NRSC and the management team were invited to brief the standing committee members on the National Road Safety Council Annual Report for 2018/2019. 

The meeting was held on 10 November 2021

At the briefing meeting, held on 10 November 2021, the chairperson of the NRSC Eliphas, !Owos-Oab, informed the meeting that during 2018/2019, the NRSC, in collaboration with the Namibian Police, drafted a strategy as a pilot.

He explained the draft strategy was launched in 2020 and would require police officers and local authority traffic officers to be present 24/7 at accident scenes. 

The idea was prompted by quite a number of accidents in high-density areas and respective corridors.

According to NRSC, the project was costly, yet successful – and during the first three months of the implementation, accidents decreased by 31%. 

While at its completion during the same year, a reduction of 23% was experienced. 

Sadly, the project could not be sustained due to the implementation of the Namibian Chapter of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011 to 2020, a United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative.

Various consultations with stakeholders took place during 2018/2019, which resulted in the ratification of the Global Road Safety Partnership African Road Safety Council Charter. 

!Owos-Oab, highlighted Namibia as the only African country that has ratified the African Road Safety Council Charter, and the country has been nominated to receive the Koffi Annan Road Safety Award in this regard.

Although there was a lack of political will, he said, an encouraging response has been received from Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who became the patron in this regard. 

– anakale@nepc.com.na