Zambia has signed the African Union Road Safety Charter, a significant step toward improving road safety and reducing traffic accidents in the country. This is part of a larger continental effort to reduce the high incidence of road fatalities, particularly in African countries where hazardous roads pose a significant risk to motorists.
The Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rose Sakala, was the official delegate responsible for depositing the ratification instrument on behalf of the Zambian government. Sakala underlined the urgent need for improved road safety measures in a statement issued on Sunday in Lusaka. She stated that studies have shown that African countries continue to have some of the highest road death rates in the world, owing primarily to poor road conditions, insufficient safety measures, and a failure to enforce traffic regulations.
Sakala also expressed hope about the AU Road Safety Charter’s potential to change the situation. She stated that now that the Charter is functioning, it will be one of the most essential tools for lobbying and policymaking in Africa, helping to raise road safety standards. Zambia is joining 12 other African countries in the vital undertaking by ratifying the Charter, and Sakala hopes that this would serve as a motivation for other states to do the same. She went on to say that road safety is not simply a public health.” Improvement in the field of road safety will ensure the full realization of benefits of our road networks and at the same time contribute to the economic growth in the region,” claimed Sakala. She also stated that, like most African countries, Zambia’s economy relied heavily on its roads for the supply of goods and services, making them critical to both national and regional trade. She stated that Zambia’s current objectives for economic development cannot be realized without safe and efficient road networks.
Concurrent with the approval of the AU Road Safety Charter, the continent is working toward a more expansive infrastructure and economic objective. The AU Commission’s Director of Infrastructure and Energy, Kamugisha Kazaura, praised Zambia for its dedication to road safety and explained that it was in keeping with the ambitious Agenda 2063 of the AU, which aims to make Africa a global powerhouse through inclusive, sustainable development, which includes improved road infrastructure. Without good and secure road networks, which are necessary for the flow of products across borders, Kazaura stressed that the success of such projects as the Continental Free Trade Area “will be hard to attain.”
Hajer Gueldich, Legal Counsel and Director for Legal Affairs in the AU Commission, also congratulated Zambia on the ratification of the Charter. He also hoped that this step on the part of Zambia would encourage other African countries to do likewise. Up to date, 13 countries, including Zambia, have ratified the Charter, said Gueldich. But added the said Gueldich, two more countries must ratify it before the Charter will come into effect. He called upon the remaining countries to take quick steps towards putting the Charter into full force.
The AU Road Safety Charter is designed in a way to address the various problems associated with road safety in Africa, including, but not limited to, poor conditions of the roads, lack of safety awareness among road users, and weak enforcement of traffic regulations. By providing a framework for improvement in the area of road safety, the Charter is supposed to bring down the high rates of road accidents and subsequent fatalities reported in most African countries.
Zambia’s signing of the AU Road Safety Charter is a commendable move that reflects the country’s commitment to the improvement of road safety to support broader goals of regional integration and development. With safer roads, Zambia, along with other African countries, will have a better position in boosting economic growth, reducing deaths from traffic, and strengthening its overall infrastructure. As more countries ratify the Charter, it may not be long before Africa’s roads become safer and efficient enough to advance the long-term development goals of the continent.
