Crime And Road Carnage Continue To Take Their Toll

ALTHOUGH there are some fairly optimistic outlooks in certain parts of the country with regard to diminished incidences of crime over the December and New Year season, the picture is by no means a rosy one.

While at one stage it appeared as though road deaths would be less than in previous years, the holiday season is not yet over and some time remains before schools re-open. There will still therefore, be heavy traffic on the nation’s roads prior to the end of the recess and with this, the possibility of more road accidents and related injury and deaths.Police and traffic officials must be commended for mounting roadblocks outside various major towns and villages in Namibia over this period and for monitoring the situation on the country’s roads.There have been a number of people caught for, among others, driving at excessive speeds, and two of the reported cases include a Namibian lawyer, caught travelling at an unbelievable 216 kms an hour as well as a South African visitor not far behind that speed. The courts will hopefully deal severely with such offenders.While police have as yet not given an overall picture of the national crime situation, including traffic offenders, over the holiday season, there is definitely reason for concern about the fact that figures have not decreased dramatically over earlier years.A local Afrikaans daily monitoring road deaths this week reported that already the toll had exceeded 60 and with more time to go before the end of the recess, this number is unfortunately bound to increase further. They put the statistics for the same period last year at 69 and for 2007/8 at 62, both down from a very high death toll of 88 in the 2006/7 holiday season.On the crime front there have also been a number of horrific cases, one in particular a father who stands accused of cutting the throats of his two children, six and four years old respectively. Credit card fraud continues to be a major problem and more reports of baby dumping.The statistics, although still preliminary, show that Namibia still has a long way to go before succeeding in efforts to bring down the crime rate overall, and more particularly, the carnage on our roads over the recess.With welcome rains falling countrywide, it is more important than ever that drivers take care on wet and slippery surfaces, in particular on areas such as the highway from Okahandja to Karibib, which is still under construction and difficult to drive at the best of times. Many on the roads over this period have also expressed concern about big trucks overtaking at difficult intersections and on areas of the roads which remain without markings. The police and traffic officials need to continue to put out messages in this regard to prevent the already high death toll from rising any further.It also appears as though fireworks continue to be a problem, posing the dangers they do to both human and animal life over the holiday period. Although New year’s eve saw rain in the capital, people took advantage of the lull in the downpour around midnight to set them off and not in the areas designated by municipal authorities. This is unacceptable, and the authorities do need to consider a permanent ban on fireworks if this continues.Finally, while the figures are already a matter of huge concern to Namibians, everyone needs to do whatever is in their power to prevent the carnage from rising even further.We would therefore appeal to road users to obey the traffic laws, keep their speeds within legal limits, comply with the laws regarding drunk driving in the next two weeks in order to keep death and injury to the absolute minimum. Above all, people must drive with great care especially as the rainy season is at hand.People must also remain vigilant as far as crime is concerned and make use of the crime watch call lines as well as municipal and Namibian Police to report suspicious acts. Crime cannot be fought without the support of the people and we call on everyone to ensure that 2010 is accompanied by minimal loss of life and injury.Like most of our compatriots, we wish for a prosperous and peaceful 2010 for our country and all its people.