Death is on the roads of Malawi: 616 people killed in road accidents 2020 first quarter
At least 616 people died in road accidents in Malawi in the first quarter of 2020, up from 281 in 2019 and 234 in 2018 during the same period with government calling for concerted efforts from various stakeholders if the country is to make positive strides in reducing road accidents.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works, Nancy Mdoko, made the remarks on Saturday at Liwonde Community Centre ground in Machinga during the commemoration of African Road Safety Day under the theme: ‘Stop roadside vending, save lives.’
Mdoko said road accidents in the country are alarming and worrisome as they rank ninth on the causes of death in the country.
“In 2019, Malawi witnessed over 10, 000 accidents and in 2018 Malawi had registered 5, 821 road accidents. The statistics indicate that road accidents are rising in the country.
“As such, there is need for all stakeholders and the general public to work together in order to reduce road accidents,” she said.
Mdoko expressed sadness that most of the victims are the youth who are energetic and could have contributed positively to the development of the country.
She said the practice of vending along the road is one of the major causes of road accidents as such pleaded with Malawians to stop the malpractice.
Mdoko, therefore, gave an example of the accident which occurred at Kampepuza Trading Centre in Ntcheu District which claimed 17 lives, saying the accident could have been avoided if people were not selling their merchandise along the road.
“Car owners are also contributing to the rise of road accidents because they park their cars along the road when they want to buy goods,” she said.
She disclosed that her ministry in collaboration with Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will relocate all markets that lie along main roads as one way of reducing road accidents.
“We will work with the Ministry of Local Government to demolish all buildings that are built within road reserve as one way of reducing accidents,” she added.
In her remarks, Deputy Director of Road Traffic, Annie Kandoje, concurred with Mdoko saying Malawi is registering high numbers of road accidents every year.
Kandoje said from January to June 2019 about 528 accidents occurred which claimed 625 lives.
“In 2020 within the same period of January to June about 570 road accidents have occurred which have claimed 616 lives,” she said.
Machinga is one of the districts where roadside vending is rampant.
Machinga District Council Chairperson, Simplex Diwa, bemoaned poor road conditions among other factors contributing to road accidents in the district.
Duwa said the council will continue working hard to deal with street vending as one way of reducing road accidents.
In 2019 Machinga registered 30 accidents which claimed 38 lives.
Among other activities during the commemoration, Mdoko cheered accident survivors at Machinga District Hospital.
In Malawi commemoration of the day started in 2013 following a meeting by African Union (AU) members.
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A road traffic kumasinthitsana ndalama ndi driving licence. mmhu
Dausi zina zocita kuombetsa magalimoto aanthu ku ma stationary trucks.
kumasula ma wheel a magalimoto aanthu odana ndi zocita olo zodzudzula dpp. akakakhozetsa
This is an African syndrome that is killing our people daily. Too many hazards on our roads ranging from: goats, pigs, dogs and chickens all trying to seek food. Too many bicycle and motor cycle vendors with minimal or no knowledge of road regulations. Too many vendors clinging to motorists’ car windows distracting drivers’ attentions. Too many people walking aimlessly in our streets on monkey business. Too many unlincenced drivers on the steering wheel. Finally the government focussing on symptoms than root causes of the problem thereby aiding death to wipe many.
This rests on all Malawians. On any given day a person has to use a busy road. Safety should be vested on both the pedestrians and motorists. Those whose duty is to check whether road regulations are followed no longer exist, if they happen to be active then know that they are broke and want to receive bribes from motorists. The other contributing factor is that there are no speed reduction measures on our roads. In developed countries they will usually have instituted speed limits, humps in busy areas, roundabouts say every 20 – 30 miles forcing vehicles to reduce speeds in order to negotiate those measures/obstacles. One can drive from Blantyre to Mzuzu without meeting a Police traffic patrol vehicle. Those are meant to check motorists driving on our roads, apart from checking their own stationary traffic personnel whether they are carrying out their chores properly. On the issue of having vendors selling their products on the road side, it is because the councils don’t provide appropriate markets for them to do their businesses. Councils need to clear the roads after provision of markets, enforce discipline by patrolling those roads and charge law breakers by making them pay a fine of even lock them up. Some of these issues are supposed to be passed as laws in our parliament, but instead of the poor MPs discussing crucial items like those all they will be doing is praise singing in honour of their leaders basi. With such laziness and lack of direction these accidents will continue to increase, mainly with the number of vehicles on the road now. Surprisingly, if you go to countries like UK where the number of motorists could be like 100,000 x those in Malawi, one would pry their roads for weeks on end and find literary zero accident, why? Discipline is number one, good roads, controls/checks plenty, speed or reckless driving is minimized by the road construction itself i.e. humps, roundabouts, dual carriageways, traffic lights etc. Until some of these are brought up, then expect the carnage on our roads to multiply.
It will only get worse with the unregulated motor bikes who do not wear any protective gear, nor have any clue about the highway code and they are allowed to drive past our traffic police in broad daylight.
Road traffic department tell us what you are doing to save the lives of our brothers and sisters.
This is a real national emergency if ever there was one. Look forward to the President and his vice to come up with a concrete plan to address this – if they are not too busy picking up plastic bags! If we are going to rule and manage by numbers/data, then I would say the numbers in this case are a national wake up call. Finger pointing to kabaza etc wont work this time. We need more detailed analysis of the nature of accidents, many are on the highways between the cities, minibuses unable to navigate obstructions, etc. We need this data to be better informed. If the leaders dont implement big national campaigns and programmes immediately, they are sleeping at the wheel!
Poor and substandard roads, unroadworth cars (at least majority), unqualified drivers or those that can’t follow the rules. What a cocktail.
Are you serious by holding that banner you thieves? Are you there to prevent accidents or to collect money for yourselves and the government? You and your fellow corrupt traffic police are on the roads just to make money for yourselves. The fines you are used to intimidate the road users to easily submit to your corrupt demands. Your partners are putting cameras on wrong places just to make money. Very sad that we are not serious to stop or reduce accidents. The roads could also be a major contributing factor.
these issues have always been there, atleast as long as i have been there. We simply are not bothered enough as a country and do not care! Ife koma ushering politicians in power
When did these 600+ deaths occur? In the first quarter or 2020, or the first half. The article says two different things.
Authorities are sleeping on the job. What do expect from a road from Kanengo to Kasungu and from Mzuzu to Chiweta. Do they know how many 30 ton tracks used this road?
What impact do the road law enforcers have apart from stealing money on the roads from drivers? Speed traps are used for stealing. ACB can trap traffic police officers by searching their pockets. They can find thousands of Kwachas in their pockets. These policemen target mini buses and taxis.
What do you expect from increase in number of motor cycles and bicycles used as taxis on the bad roads? The riders are not trained on the use of the roads. The government is putting lives of its citizens at risk for fear of losing votes. Are the people dying on the roads not voter? You increase the fines just to benefit the thieves at the Road Traffic and Traffic police thieves.
Motor vehicles kill silently, so this year road accidents claimed more lives than Covid19 and our media spent lots of time reporting about Covid19. Shame. Vehicles are the modern day Lions
Covid-19 issues are disgusting. There are more deaths from other things than Covid-19. The whole Europe is closed. We are forced to follow what Europe is doing.
Our road are not in poor condition compared to other African countries but we have unqualified drivers who buy licences from RTD.They do not observe speed limits on the roads.Most bus drivers are very reckless inclusive those of mini buses.Showbiz basi
Remove those cindixtuy illegal vending along the roads
Remove Kabaza operators from the cities
Remove sienta from the cities
Enforce strict rules for anyone breaking the law za mu nseu
We need to do something about these minibus drivers
Citizens let’s also do our part and not encourage some of these things like kukwera Kabaza with no helmet etc
Koma ntchito ilipo
The roads are just too bad as well.
Sub standard roads, careless mini bus drivers and truck driver and corrupt traffic police on road.