02 Nov 2022

 Road accidents continue to claim more lives as their frequency increases. Botswana Police Service (BPS) Acting Commissioner, Mr Phemelo Ramakorwane said this during the official launch of 60 days of Action on Crime and Road Safety in Bobonong on Tuesday. 

He said from January to date, there were 296 road deaths, compared to 278 fatalities for the same period last year. This, he said, represented a 6.45 per cent increase in road traffic fatalities during the stated period. “These figures are indeed on an upward and disturbing trajectory, which we need to collectively reverse,” he said. 

He emphasised the need to improve behaviours in public roads, saying speeding, driving without a licence and drunken driving, remained major challenges. He added the age cohort 26 to 45 remained the most road safety challenged category of road users. 

Mr Ramakorwane said the main objective of the campaign was to remind the nation of the critical public safety and security challenges that came with the imminence of the festive season.

The campaign aimed to among others: ensure that heavy vehicles and trucks left acceptable spacing between them, commence air patrol of major roads, mount speed relays, roadworthiness and licence checks, discourage overloading of goods and passengers as well as noise nuisance. 

He urged the community to fully participate in crime prevention and report suspicious persons to the police. He also advised them to walk in groups to and from entertainment spot, avoid dark alleys, ensure they secured their homes and notify neighbours of their absence. 

The acting police chief also urged road users to obey all road traffic rules and regulations; pay attention when crossing or walking along the road and to plan and start all festive season road trips well in time to avoid travelling under pressure. He commended mephato across Bobirwa region for their diligent performance in combating stock theft in the area. “We have taken a decision to invite other crime prevention structures to benchmark with yourselves, especially on the design and operation of mephato to fight stock theft,” he said. 

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Mr Kgomotso Abi said government was committed to the newly proclaimed United Nations General Assembly-Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021 to 2030. He said as a member of the United Nations, the country recognised the importance and urgent need to improve road safety. 

Mr Abi, who is also the Chairperson of National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), said there was need for action through the implementation of an integrated Safe System Approach, which placed safety at the core of governments’ transport systems. Government through Ministry of Transport and Public Works and the NRSC, he said, was currently in the process of developing the National Road Safety Strategy, which would be a blue-print for improving road safety in the country. 

Mr Abi said increased collaboration with the private sector, taking road safety to the highest level of government for purposes of soliciting political support, crash data management, improving post-crash care and building capacity across other key road safety areas, remained key in the new strategy. 

“Through the NRSC, Ministry of Transport and Public Works will continue to provide support to other key players such as the Botswana Police, building capacity around Ministry of Health trauma management systems, youth road safety groups and District Road Safety Committees,” he said. 

For his part, Kgosi Joel Masilo of Bobonong said a good relationship existed between Babirwa and the BPS, which enabled the two parties to work closely together to curb cattle rustling. He said crime during this period of the year was very high because students who sat for examinations were idle, hence some indulged in criminal activities. Kgosi Masilo said Bobonong was a big village, which needed police reinforcement to help curb growing criminal activities. BOPA