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ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT DURING THE COMMEMORATION OF THE AFRICA ROAD SAFETY DAY, AT SIBANE HOTEL ON THE 4TH OF DECEMBER 2015, AT 7:30AM

 

 

 

 

 

  • WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE,

  • NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF POLICE,

  • PRINCIPAL SECRETARY – MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT,

  • ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL,

  • ROAD TRANSPORTATION BOARD,

  • NATIONAL TRANSPORT COUNCIL,

  • ROAD SAFETY STAKEHOLDERS,

  • MEDIA HOUSES,

  • LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

     

     

     

    I AM GREATLY HONOURED TO BE PART OF THIS GATHERING WHERE WE HAVE SEIZED THE MOMENT TO COMMEMORATE AFRICA ROAD SAFETY DAY.

     

    WHAT IS ROAD SAFETY DAY?

     

    THE IDEA OF COMMERATING ROAD SAFETY DAY WAS CONCEIVED IN THE YEAR 1993 BY A UNITED KINGDOM (UK) BASED ORGANIZATON CALLED ROAD PEACE. THIS WAS KNOWN AS THE WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ROAD CRASH VICTIMS. THE AFRICAN UNION ORGANIZATION THEN ADAPTED THE IDEA TO LOCAL CONTEXT AND THEN TRANSFORMED IT TO AFRICA ROAD SAFETY DAY. YOU’LL REMEMBER VERY WELL THAT THE 1ST AFRICA ROAD SAFETY DAY WAS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED IN ETHIOPIA, ON THE 18TH OF NOVEMBER 2012. SWAZILAND HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE ANNUAL COMMEMORATION OF THIS PARTICULAR DAY SINCE THE INITIAL LAUNCH.

     

    WHY COMMEMORATE ROAD SAFETY DAY?

     

    RECAPING ON THE HISTORY OF ‘AFRICA ROAD SAFETY DAY’, IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRACE HOW THIS DAY EVOLVED FROM THE ‘DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF ROAD CRASH VICTIMS’. WORTH TO NOTE IS THAT THE DAY WAS COMMEMORATED ON THE 3RD SUNDAY OF NOVEMBER, EACH YEAR.THE AFRICAN UNION IN CONSULTATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (UNECA) RESOLVED THAT THE HOLDING OF MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR ROAD ACCIDENT VICTIMS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM OF ROAD CRASHES IN THE CONTINENT HENCE THERE WAS TRANSITION TOWARDS SENSITIZING ROAD USERS ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY.

     

    ACHIEVEMENTS:

     

    AS WE COMMEMORATE AFRICA ROAD SAFETY DAY, WE ARE FORCED TO LOOK BACK AND REMINISCE ON OUR ACHIEVEMENTS. FIRST WE LOOK AT THE ACHIEVEMENTS. SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THE DECADE OF ACTION 2011 – 2020, THE COUNTRY RECORDED A 16% DECLINE IN ROAD CRASHES. IN YEAR 2010, THE MULTISECTORAL APPROACH IN ROAD SAFETY WAS SUCCESSFULLY PURSUED THROUGH THE FORMATION OF THE SWAZILAND ROAD SAFETY STAKEHOLDER ALLIANCE. IN THE YEAR 2013, THE COUNTRY CELEBRATED THE SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN ROAD CRASHES AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE SWAZILAND ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL, SINCEPHETELO MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT FUND, ROYAL SWAZILAND POLICE, ROADS DEPARTMENT, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION COUNTRY OFFICE, BAPHALALI SWAZILAND RED CROSS SOCIETY, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE UNIT (EPR), DRIVING SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION, SWAZILAND BEVERAGES AND THE SWAZILAND TOURISM AUTHORITY. THESE ORGANIZATIONS REINFORCED THE OUTREACH RESPONSIBILITY AS THEY WERE ABLE TO RENDER ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION AND TO DISSEMINATE ROAD SAFETY INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE FOUR (4) REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY.

     

    ONGOING PROGRAMMES:

     

     

    AT THIS JUNCTURE, ALLOW ME TO STATE OUR ONGOING PROGRAMME AIMED AT FIGHTING NUMEROUS ROAD ACCIDENT CAUSES. THE MINISTRY IS CURRENTLY FACED WITH A HUGE CHALLENGE IN KEEPING STRAY ANIMALS AWAY FROM THE ROAD RESERVES. SUBMISSIONS COLLECTED FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE BEING REVIEWED FOR POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS IN TERMS OF INSTALLING SPECIAL ROAD FENCE AND IN ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL UNIT OF ROAD RANGERS. ALSO WORTH TO NOTE IS THAT ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION IS BEING RENDERED THROUGH MEDIA HOUSES AND THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE ROYAL SWAZILAND POLICE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. FOR THE POSSIBLE ELIMINATION OF BLACKSPOTS, THE ROAD SAFETY SECTION COORDINATES THE SCREENING OF ACCIDENT PRONE AREAS AND FORWARDS THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ROADS DEPARTMENT.

     

    ROAD SAFETY CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:

     

     

    DESPITE THE ONGOING PROGRAMMES, LIMITED RESOURCES HAS ALWAYS COME AS A CHALLENGE RESULTING IN A SMALL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PROGRAMME. THE MINISTRY HAS ALREADY STRATEGISED ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AND SUSTAIN ROAD SAFETY PROGRAMMES. AMONG THE STRATEGIES IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS FOR PURPOSES OF SOURCING FUNDING FOR DRIVING ACTIVITIES AND EVEN FOR EQUIPPING ROAD SAFETY OFFICERS.

     

    FUTURE PLANS (ALIGNING WITH VISION 2022):

     

     

    IN THE NEXT FIVE (5) YEARS, THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT, THROUGH THE SWAZILAND ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL IS GOING TO ALIGN ITSELF WITH THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL DECADE OF ACTION FOR ROAD SAFETY 2011 – 2020 CAMPAIGN. THIS IS WHERE ALL ROAD USERS ARE URGED TO RENEW THEIR COMMITMENT ALONG THE THEME, ‘IT’S TIME FOR RESULTS’. WORKSHOPS WILL BE ORGANIZED FOR CONSCIENTIZING STAKEHOLDERS AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THEIR ROAD SAFETY ROLES. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE MINISTRY WILL ENDEVOUR TO INCORPORATE ALL ROAD SAFETY FEATURES IN THE COUNTRY’S ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO ELIMINATE ALL HAZARDS ON THE ROADS.

     

    SPECIAL CHRISTMAS ROAD SAFETY MESSAGE

     

    LET ME GRASP THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ALERT ROAD USERS ABOUT THE ONCOMING CHRISTMAS AND NEW-YEAR HOLIDAYS. THESE HOLIDAYS ARE KNOWN FOR HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES COUPLED WITH HIGH SPIRIT OF CELEBRATION AMONG ROAD USERS. DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON, IT IS PRACTICAL TO OBSERVE CAUTION AND BE COMPLIANT WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE ROAD. HIGH VOLUME OF TRAFFIC WILL CERTAINLY CALL FOR DEFENSIVE DRIVING AND THE EXERCISE OF EXTREME PATIENCE. I WARN YOU, DO NOT REACT TO PROVOCATION OF OTHER DRIVERS AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PROVOKE THEM AS THIS MIGHT SPARK ROAD RAGE AND UNNECESSARY ROAD CRASHES.

     

    ON A DEPARTING NOTE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRACTICE ROAD SAFETY AND PRESERVE THE GIFT OF LIFE FOR YOURSELF AND FOR ALL.

     

    I THANK YOU.

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