The Otjozondjupa Region emerged as the overall winner of the annual MVA Fund Schools Road Safety Debate Competition, held in Swakopmund, Erongo Region, from 6 to 10 September.
This annual event, first hosted in Otjiwarongo last year, serves as a platform for institutional commitment and empowers Namibian youth to engage in critical road safety discussions.
This year’s competition was held under the theme: “Young Minds and Self-Awareness Towards Road Safety.” The championship brought together learners from all fourteen regions, competing over three days to showcase their advocacy skills on the critical issue of road safety. The event aligns with the Fund’s ongoing mission to promote road safety awareness and education across the country.
“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 encourages learners to reflect on the various factors affecting road safety and to critically assess how elements such as education, infrastructure, enforcement, and community engagement contribute to safeguarding pedestrians.
MVA Fund data reveals that from 1 January to 1 September 2024, a total of 1,888 young people aged 18 to 35 were injured in motor vehicle accidents, representing 55% of all injuries recorded during this period. Additionally, young people accounted for 50% of fatalities during the same timeframe.
Martins-Hausiku stressed that these alarming statistics highlight the urgent need to engage young people, who are particularly vulnerable on the roads, and to address their behaviour and attitudes that contribute to the risk of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
“The MVA Fund calls for greater self-regulation and responsibility among young road users, encouraging them to adopt positive behaviours that safeguard their own lives as well as those of their fellow road users,” she added.
The debate competition is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Namibian Schools Debating Association.