“The church also has a significant role to play in raising road safety awareness and to encourage its members to practice the Christian values of love, patience, etiquette and respect on the road”.

Lusaka, Zambia – 8th February 2015.The Zambian Road Safety Trust (ZRST) has signed an MOU with Society Of Road Safety Ambassadors (SORSA), a non-governmental organisation registered in Botswana. The collaboration established by MOU will enhance the development of both parties, promote road safety best practices and increase international and SADC protocol on cooperation of member states in road safety. Among the activities in the MOU are working together to establish a Road Safety Research Centre for the SADC region to be based in Zambia, promoting road safety advocacy and capacity building for both organizations.
Maatla Otsogile, Coordinator, Society Of Road Safety Ambassadors-Botswana said:
“We are happy to be aligned with an esteemed organization such as Zambian Road Safety Trust which shares the same vision of saving lives and making sure that our roads are safe. The ever increasing number of road crashes in Botswana has created one of the greatest crises of modern times, and this has compelled us to act. Every day we lose a life on the road, and one death is one too many. In Botswana last year we lost 377 lives due to road crashes and this year so far we have lost 32 lives.
“We urge all to play a role in road safety; it is not just the role of the government or the Police. It is our responsibility as road users to make safer roads for all a reality. It starts with us as individuals. The church also has a significant role to play in raising road safety awareness and to encourage its members to practice the Christian values of love, patience, etiquette and respect on the road. Ladies & gentlemen, the Bible teaches us that transgression of the law is a sin hence we need to obey the road rules and regulations even if nobody is looking (Police)”.
Daniel Mwamba, Chairman of Zambian Road Safety Trust said:
“Today, we witness the two organisations committing to work together to address the road pandemic which is dismantling people’s lives. This MOU allows us to cooperate in the exchange of information relating to our activities in road safety, encourage exchange visits in support of the collaboration and render technical support and where possible provide online educational resources.
“I pledge the Zambian Road Safety Trust commitment to partner with Society Of Road Safety Ambassadors to promote road safety together for the benefit of our societies”.
The MOU was signed during the commemoration of the Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in Zambia Campaign, on 7th February 2015 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, in LUSAKA. The two organisations are both Non-profit organisations whose interest is to support their respective government efforts to prevent and reduce accidents.
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Notes for Editors:
ZAMBIAN ROAD SAFETY TRUST
The Zambian Road Safety Trust (ZRST), a not for profit organisation, seeks to create awareness on road safety and contribute towards reduction in road traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities. Zambia, with almost 2,000 deaths in road crashes per year, is one of the worst performing countries, as far as road safety is concerned. The trust has a particular role to play in terms of personalising the Road Safety Issue, creating a sense of urgency and generating a demand for safety from the public.
CONTACT
Jubilee Park, Plot 11849, Lubumbashi Road, Off Lumumba Road, LUSAKA.
P.O Box FW 257,
Tel: +26 0953736461/ +26 0961475610
E:info@zambianroadsafety.org W:zambianroadsafety.org