03 Mar 2015

A new non-governmental organisation called Botswana Against Drunk Driving (BADD) is to be launched in Shakawe.

Speaking at a fundraising event for the organisation recently, Shakawe River Lodge general manager, Ms Marietjie Viljo said the proposed organisation would serve to bring an end to drunk driving in Botswana.

The vision of BADD, she said looks forward to greater engagement and interaction with their strategic partners in moving forward and to draw greater attention and more importantly, concrete and effective action to reduce and eliminate incidents of drunk driving in Botswana.

‘’Our main objective is to increase public education about the dangers of drunk driving,’’ she said.

Also, she cautioned that in order for them to become more efficient, effective mechanisms would ultimately have a meaningful impact within Botswana and in the lives of the people.

In addition, she said alcohol-impaired driving was one of the world’s leading causes of road traffic casualties.

“For that reason, we have aligned our mandate to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety, and we will do this through our planned Post 2020 Agenda, which we will reveal soon,’’ she noted

She said in the next five years, they want to turn Botswana into a country where alcohol and driving would no longer be mentioned at the same time.

For their part the founders of BADD, Ms Abigail Mogabodi and Mr Divetero Muniyape, both from Shakawe said the organisation would be based in Shakawe, but would operate nationally.

Ms Mogabodi said the establishment of the organisation was inspired by an American organisation called Mothers Against Drunk Driving, whose founder lost a child after being hit and killed by a drunk driver.

The main sponsors of the event were Shakawe River Lodge, First Quantum Minerals, Hawk Holdings and TOCaDI. ENDS