EZULWINI, Eswatini – April 16, 2025 — Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has restated Eswatini’s strong commitment to improving road safety, calling it a vital issue of “dignity, development, and human rights.” He made the remarks during the Kofi Annan Road Safety Awards ceremony held Tuesday evening in Ezulwini.
Speaking at the regional gathering, Dlamini said Eswatini plans to modernize its vehicle inspection centres, enhance national road infrastructure, and submit new road safety initiatives for possible United Nations funding. These steps, he said, are part of the government’s strategy to significantly reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries by 2030.
“Our hosting of this event is particularly meaningful,” Dlamini told attendees. “Eswatini was previously recognised in Morocco for road safety management, and that award reminded us that this work is far from over. Every intervention must be scaled to save lives.”
The Prime Minister paid tribute to the late former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose global leadership led to the establishment of the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety. “His vision helped bring road safety into the heart of international development,” Dlamini said.
Eswatini was among the first countries to ratify the African Road Safety Charter, adopted by the African Union in 2016. The Charter promotes harmonised safety standards across the continent. The kingdom has also aligned its National Road Safety Strategy (2021–2023) with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, targeting a 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by the end of the decade.
Transport Minister Chief Ndlaluhlaza confirmed Eswatini’s plans to develop new projects targeting safety improvements and present them to global partners, including the UN, for funding.
“Road safety is more than a technical issue,” Dlamini said. “It requires political resolve, cross-sector collaboration, and community involvement.”
Jean Todt, the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, warned against neglecting human dignity in transport systems. “Public transport should not treat people like livestock,” he said. “Safety must be at the core of how we move our citizens.”
Senegal’s Minister of Infrastructure, Yankoba Diémé, also addressed the gathering, noting that two citizens die daily from road accidents in Senegal. “Our President has made road safety a national priority, backing campaigns and community outreach efforts,” he said.
This year’s Kofi Annan Road Safety Awards recognised several African countries for outstanding efforts:
- Nigeria – Road Safety Management
- Cameroon – Innovation in Digitization
- Ethiopia – Public Transportation/Modal Shift
- Kenya – Safer Vehicles
- Senegal – Road Safety Financing
- South Africa – Post-Crash Care
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