By Phiwa Sikhondze
Road accident claims in Eswatini have more than doubled over the past four years, soaring from approximately E250 million in 2019 to over E500 million in 2023.
This was revealed by the Prime Minister during the Road Injury Prevention Indaba 2024 held at the Happy Valley Hotel last week.
The Prime Minister, represented by Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, underscored the urgent need for comprehensive road safety measures to address this alarming trend.
“The escalation in road accident claims is a clear indication of the critical state of our road safety. We must implement stringent measures to protect our citizens and reduce the financial burden on the nation,” he said.
The Prime Minister highlighted the grim reality that Eswatini loses more than 200 people annually to road accidents, translating to an estimated 10% of deaths per 100,000 people. This statistic paints a stark picture of the road safety crisis facing the Kingdom.
From January to June 2024 alone, 78 lives have been lost to road traffic crashes, with pedestrians comprising the majority of these fatalities. The ongoing tragedy on the roads, where about four people die each week and many more suffer life-altering injuries, has prompted urgent calls for action.
David Myeni, CEO of the Swaziland Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF), emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Our Funeral Benefit Claims have increased significantly, indicating that we are burying more emaSwati from road crashes. We realized the urgent need to come out and declare that no one should be the next victim of road crashes.”
He stressed that road safety must be prioritized through a multi-stakeholder and collaborative approach to reduce the number of crashes, fatalities, and injuries.
The Indaba underscored that pedestrians account for over 60% of road crash injuries in Eswatini, highlighting the need for safer roads and stricter enforcement of traffic laws.
Despite ongoing efforts, road crashes continue to claim lives and cause severe injuries, demonstrating that many accidents are preventable.
“Most road crashes are preventable. Yet we continue to have these high numbers of fatalities and injuries. One loss of life or injury on the road is one too many,” Myeni added.
The call for a concerted effort to address road safety challenges was echoed throughout the Indaba, with experts advocating for improvements in road infrastructure, traffic law enforcement, and public awareness campaigns.
The Road Injury Prevention Indaba 2024 served as a crucial platform for discussing these issues and proposing actionable solutions. The Prime Minister’s call to action and Myeni’s remarks reflect a broader recognition of the need for immediate and sustained efforts to address the road safety crisis in Eswatini.