6th UN global road safety week

The Sincephetelo MVA Fund has been invited by the United Nations (Eswatini) to observe and participate in the 6th UN Global Road Safety Week which commenced on 17-23 May 2021. The programme is meant to promote traffic safety from the angle of reducing speed especially in busy areas like schools, residential spaces and business activities. It has been themed as, “LOVE 30..Give Life back to the Streets”. This is cognizance of the fact that a lot of injuries and fatalities in traffic are a direct result of excessive speed. As a compensational instrument to assist victims of traffic accidents who have been injured or even died through negligent driving, the SMVAF is on the receiving end and has to put up with the escalating rate of traffic accidents. It is thus imperative that we duly had to accept the invite and participate in this noble exercise.

As the number of accidents victims increase so will our claim volume and the financial resources spent to confront the plight of the victims. It is within the SMVAF strategy and ambit of operation to be on the fore-front collaborating with likely minded stakeholders to prevent accident from happening but most importantly to avert serious injuries and death in the traffic vicinity. The Fund has generated educational and awareness oriented messages in promoting speed reduction in the week, which messaging have been  fed to our social media platforms for road users to see, appease and embrace. Three of our media platforms, the radio and television have aired programmes extensively talking to the theme and interrogating other strategic interventions to reduce accidents on the road as per the drive by the United Nations of Eswatini.

We have also participated in a Road Safety activation in traffic where stakeholders convened in front of Mater Dolorosa Primary School and assisted pupils to cross at designated spaces whilst ensuring that traffic was in compliance with the minimal speed of “30Km/hr. The programme proceeded to the United Nations Headquarters where there was discussion amongst stakeholders on the topic such as, The United Nations, Royal Eswatini Police Services, Road Safety Council of Eswatini, Road accident Action Group and the media houses in the country. The SMVAF posited on the impact of the prevalence of traffic accidents to the Fund in terms of compensation and sustainability. We also mentioned our steadfast intent to collaborate with stakeholders by interrogating and applying adept and scientific methods in curbing accidents and our commitment to pursue and sustain our partnership the United Nations’ in the fight against traffic accidents especially with the office of the Designated Official For Safety and Security who happens also to be the person of the Resident Co-ordinator currently. We took note also, of the contributions by the other speakers from the stakeholdership composition present therein.