Staff Reporter
THE Otjozondjupa Region emerged as the overall winner of the annual MVA Fund schools road safety debate competition, held in Swakopmund, Erongo Region, from the 6th to the 10th of September.
The annual event, which was hosted for the first time in Otjiwarongo last year, was created to serve as a platform for institutional commitment and to empower Namibian youth to participate in road safety discourse.
This year’s event was hosted under the theme, “Young Minds and Self-Awareness Towards Road Safety.”
The championship brings together learners from all fourteen regions, competing over three days, during which time learners showcase their advocacy skills on the critical issue of road safety, aligning with the Fund’s ongoing commitment to promoting road safety awareness and education.
“The theme encourages critical thinking and empowers learners to explore the complexities of road safety. It challenges them to consider how education, infrastructure, enforcement, and community engagement all play a role in protecting pedestrians,” said MVA Fund Chief Executive Officer Rosalia Martins-Hausiku in a statement.
According to Martins-Hausiku, the theme of this year’s championship encourages learners to reflect on the various factors that impact road safety, prompting them to think critically about how these elements—education, infrastructure, enforcement, and community engagement—help protect pedestrians.
MVA Fund data indicates that from 1 January to 1 September 2024, a total of 1,888 young people aged between 18 and 35 were injured in motor vehicle crashes, representing 55 percent of the total injuries recorded during that period.
Statistics also reveal that the youth accounted for 50% of the fatalities recorded during the same period.
Martins-Hausiku said that the bleak picture painted by these statistics supports the urgent need to engage the youth, as vulnerable road users, on their behaviour and attitudes, which make them susceptible to road crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
“The MVA Fund calls for self-regulation and responsibility among young road users in order to adopt positive road user behaviours, thereby safeguarding their own lives and those of fellow road users,” she said.
The debate is held in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Namibian Schools Debating Association.
