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To guide its national road safety agenda, the Kingdom of Eswatini launched a road safety strategy for the period 2023-2030. Officials of the Kingdom believe that all fatal and serious injuries on the road are preventable. “The elimination of fatal and serious injuries on Eswatini’s roads by 2063” is the vision.

In his keynote address, the Prime Minister of Eswatini, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini emphasized the benefits of the safe system approach to road safety contained in the strategy, noting that "humans are prone to make errors in judgment and poor decisions and that the approach incorporates this reality in the design and operation of the road network”. He also acknowledged ECA's support for the process and urged the Strategy's effective implementation.

Fortunate Shabalala, Chair of the Road Safety Council of the Kingdom of Eswatini said that the bulk of road accidents in the Kingdom resulted from human error. She stressed that road accidents constitute an intolerable burden on communities as well as an unacceptable price to pay for economic development.

Robert Lisinge, Officer in Charge of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division, representing ECA’s Acting Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro, said ECA accompanied the Kingdom of Eswatini in developing the Strategy. In implementing the Strategy, he recommended that focus should be placed on “strengthening the Kingdom’s road safety legislative framework, strengthening road safety funding arrangements, and building capacity of road safety stakeholders.”

The launch is in accordance with ECA’s mandate, which along with partners in the UN system is implementing the call by the United Nations General Assembly to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN regional commissions to support the implementation of the UN Road safety Global action plan for the Decade 2021-2023, along with all other relevant parties.

Following the launch, the University of Eswatini and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the Center of Excellence on Road Safety.

Other dignitaries present at the launch were: UN Country Representative, George Wachira, Vice Chancellor of the University of Eswatini, Justice M. Thwala; Minister of Public Works and Transport, Thulani Mkhaliphi.

Issued by The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa