In the first six months of 2026, 37 lives were tragically lost on Namibia’s roads, a shocking toll for a nation of three million people.
These individuals are not just statistics; they were a mother returning home from a night shift and a father crossing the B1 road after a long day at work.
By June, Namibia had recorded 229 road deaths in less than six months, with Windhoek leading.
That is a 29% increase in pedestrian fatalities compared to 2025, according to the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund.
The uncomfortable truth is that the distribution of pedestrian deaths in Windhoek is anything but random.
The Khomas region consistently records Namibia’s highest pedestrian fatalities, according to the MVA Fund reports.
The Roads Authority has also identified the B1 road in Windhoek as a hotspot for pedestrian accidents.
The pattern of pedestrian fatalities in Windhoek aligns closely with the spatial planning strategy established during apartheid.
This reality emanates from the racially discriminatory planning of the apartheid era, also known as environmental racism.
Robert Bullard, often referred to as the father of the environmental justice movement, introduced and popularised the concept of ‘transportation racism’ in his influential 2004 book ‘Highway Robbery: Transportation Racism and New Routes to Equity’.
Bullard argues that transportation infrastructure, particularly highways, have often been built in ways that reinforce racial inequality and restrict the economic and social mobility of black communities.
He highlights how these highways were often deliberately routed through black neighbourhoods, thereby maintaining racial and spatial segregation, while creating mobility barriers for individuals who do not drive or lack access to transportation options.
Bullard’s book provides a comprehensive overview of Katutura, which is deliberately situated away from the city centre, separated by industrial buffer zones and extensive roads designed for cars only.
DESIGN DEFICIT
A review across nine African countries by the International Road Assessment Programme revealed concerning statistics: 74% of roads lack pavements, and 55% of these roads received a one-star rating for pedestrian safety, indicating the lowest level of safety.
Only 19 out of 54 African nations have implemented a walking and cycling policy (UN-Habitat Walk 21 report, 2022).
This underscores the urgent need for improved infrastructure and policy initiatives to create safer environments for pedestrians.
A 2025 study, ‘Pedestrian Safety and Sustainable Urban Planning’, by Seferoglu and Allahverdiyev, examines 22 urban design studies.
It crucially highlights that improving pedestrian safety is not simply an engineering challenge with a one-size-fits-all solution.
Instead, it requires a comprehensive approach that includes pavement expansion, engineered safe crossings, pedestrian-only zones, the integration of green spaces, cyclist lanes, and tailored traffic-calming measures appropriate to different road types.
The City of Windhoek’s Strategic Plan 2022–2027 declares its vision as to be a sustainable and caring city by 2027 and its mission is to “enhance the quality of life for all our people”.
To this end, the municipality launched a cycling education programme, completed a 58-kilometre non-motorised transport feasibility study, and piloted 40 solar-powered e-bikes.
These are commendable steps, but 37 people died crossing roads that have no safe crossing points.
Rwanda’s Kigali proves it can be done differently. By embedding walkability into its Kigali Master Plan 2050, the city built the car-free ‘Imbuga City Walk’ in its city centre, introduced dedicated bike lanes and refuge islands city-wide in its most underserved areas.
Windhoek has wider streets, avenues, better topography, and a smaller population compared to Kigali. What it lacks is implementation of its well-crafted policies and strategies.
CONCRETE STEPS
The deadline for the 2027 sustainable city initiative is just 18 months away, and it is crucial for the municipality and the minister of works and transport to act immediately rather than postponing until the next budget cycle.
Firstly, constructing four essential pedestrian bridges at Katutura Hospital, Shandumbala, Prosperita, and Natis should be prioritised.
These bridges will significantly affect the safety and accessibility for communities that have historically faced neglect.
Additionally, it’s important to replace existing speed humps with properly engineered crossings along the B1 road.
Implementing features such as raised tables, median refuge islands, and floodlit surfaces tailored to specific road types is necessary to enhance pedestrian safety and traffic flow.
Creating a car-free pedestrian plaza within the city centre, inspired by Kigali’s Imbuga City Walk, would demonstrate the municipality’s commitment to designing spaces that prioritise the needs of people, fostering a more liveable urban environment.
Increasing parking fees to discourage vehicles in the city centre is not the solution.
Beyond that, the municipality should undertake a Walkability Equity Audit, focusing primarily on Katutura, the city centre and other highly populated areas in Windhoek.
SYSTEMIC REFORM
It is essential to formally adopt an anti-environmental-racism infrastructure policy that prioritises pedestrian funding for historically neglected areas.
Additionally, the feasibility study for the 58km non-motorised transport should be translated into tangible cycling lanes and extended hours for public transport.
Finally, it is crucial to reform Namibia’s spatial development framework to ensure that all new roads built in Windhoek, and other towns and cities in Namibia, include essential infrastructure such as sidewalks, cycling lanes, crossings, and lighting as standard requirements, rather than features that may be eliminated to reduce costs.
– Morna Ikosa has a master’s in sustainable development. She is passionate about bringing sustainable solutions to corporations and her country. The views expressed here are her own.
