By William J. Mbangula OUTAPI THE Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF) festive season road safety campaign has drawn cash donations and payments in kind amounting to N$1 million. MVAF received assistance in kind of equipment and relevant facilities to ensure effective manning of road- blocks throughout the targeted regions. These include roadblock signs, speed-measuring equipment, evidential breathalyzers, generators, blue police lights, public education CDs, fuel and repair of police vehicles, floodlights, spotlights and many others. MVAF Chairman, Phillip Amunyela, commended State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and private sector institutions that have contributed to the road accident injuries prevention campaign. This year, MVAF took a leading role in mobilizing resources aimed at preventing road accidents. The project is codenamed ‘Xupifa Eemwenyo’, Oshi-wambo for save lives. It targets but is not limited to Otjozondjupa, Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena and the Omusati regions. As part of this campaign Nam-Power, Nored and MVAF sponsored the electrification of police roadblock points at Oshakati-Okahao-Onaanda and Onandjaba-Omung-welume-Oshikuku T-junctions to the tune of N$50 000. The event was commissioned last Friday in the north. “Today marks a historic day when NamPower, Nored and MVAF illustrate to the nation that the enforcement of traffic laws cannot be left to the police alone but that it is a collective responsibility and challenge of all in Namibia. I would like to seize this opportunity to express our gratitude to NamPower, Nored and other corporate partners for availing much needed resources towards the promotion of road safety. This demonstrates not only your corporate social responsibility and care towards the Namibian people but your commitment to national development,” Amunyela stated. The national road safety campaign is co-championed by the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and the Namibian Police as the implementing partners. It focuses, among others, on: – Acquisition of roadblock equipment for the police; – The provision of power supply; – Promoting the habit of having lights on when driving; – Checking tyres for road user compliance; – Public education through local music and media; – For the Repair of police vehicles; – The provision of fuel for police patrol vehicles; – The acquisition of breathalyzers to detect drunk drivers; and, – It cautions against drinking and driving. “I am proud to inform the nation that Xupifa Eem-wenyo safety project has attracted great interest from the corporate environment and over N$1 million in cash and in kind has been solicited to support the initiative,” the MVAF chairman said. As of November 15 2005, the campaign had about 18 sponsors, amongst them: RCC, GIPF, RFA, Namcor, Mutual and Federation, NamWater, MTC, BP Namibia, Bank Windhoek, Standard Bank, J & P Group, SSC, TWC and Total. Giving an overview, MVAF Chief Executive Officer Jerry Mwadinohamba said the overall goal of the project is to reduce road traffic injuries during the festive season by providing support to the Namibian police in the execution of the roadblocks, to raise public awareness on road safety in collaboration with NABTA and to produce safety messages through road signs, music and awareness campaigns in the media. “MVAF resolves to run its campaign under the national umbrella theme of ‘Safety First’ with the sub-theme ‘Talk to the driver,'” he said. “This campaign will run throughout the festive season when many people including school children would be travelling from and to schools for the holidays”. As from last Friday, permanent roadblocks at Onandjaba-Omungwelume-Oshikuku and Oshakati-Okahao-Onaanada T-junctions had been electrified and could function day and night. Following the installation of power at Onaanda-Oshakati-Okahao T-junction, residents of the nearby location at Olutsiidhi also benefited from the project because they were supplied with power. “It would have been unfair to have a police roadblock nearby having electricity while the neighbouring community has nothing. As a result, we decided to put up a large transformer which can cater for the entire community in and around the roadblock point,” said Nored’s Chief Executive Officer Gottlieb Aman-yanga. He added that Nored had allocated N$25 000 for the transformer for the benefit of the police and the nearby community. For him, the police deserve assistance from Nored because they are responsible for protecting the company’s property all over the country. Additional costs of N$25 000 were incurred by MVAF. At the event, NamPower donated a cheque of N$16 000 to MVAF as part of this road safety campaign. The event was also addressed by the Councillor for Oshikuku constituency Peter Endjambi who stood in for Okalongo Councillor John Hakaye, Swapo’s chief whip in the National Council. Endjambi lauded the project saying it was aimed at minimizing fatalities on roads. Police regional commanders of Ohangwena and Omusati also attended the occasion.