Daily journeys to school in Mzuzu have exposed primary school pupils to dangerous traffic conditions, leaving communities worried about their safety on busy roads.
A K10 million intervention has now been rolled out to improve road safety around seven primary schools in the city, including St. Peter’s Primary School, where a new zebra crossing has already been painted and handed over to the city council.
Giant beverages producer Castel Malawi has funded the initiative, which includes pedestrian zebra crossings, traffic cones, handheld STOP and GO paddles, white gloves, and other safety equipment aimed at protecting school-going children.
Receiving the facility at St. Peter’s Primary School, Mzuzu City Mayor Chiyembekezo Glyn Moses, said the support comes at a critical time when road traffic accidents involving pupils have been on the rise in the city.
“Just yesterday (Monday), I received reports that a motor vehicle hit a primary school pupil in this city. This donation has therefore come at the right time,” he said.
According to the Northern Region Road Traffic Officer, Maurice Mavumbe, the incident brings to two the number of school-going children who have been hit by motor vehicles in Mzuzu this year alone.
Mavumbe described Castel Malawi’s support as commendable and a significant boost to ongoing road safety initiatives being implemented by his office.
“Partnerships like this benefit not only the targeted beneficiaries—the children—but also all stakeholders involved in promoting road safety. This is a significant step forward in our efforts to reduce road traffic accidents,” he said.
He added that his office still requires more road safety equipment and appealed to other corporate organizations and well-wishers to emulate Castel Malawi’s gesture in supporting efforts to reduce road traffic accidents across the country.
Castel Malawi’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Gloria Zimba, said the company’s investment reflects its commitment to one of its core pillars—safety.
“We were moved by the request from the authorities here in Mzuzu and decided to provide this support to help save lives,” she said.
Zimba explained that many schools in Mzuzu are located along busy roads, making the installation of pedestrian zebra crossings at the seven schools identified by the City Council an important step towards protecting school children.
During the handover ceremony at St. Peter’s Primary School, pupils were also taught how to use the pedestrian crossing and the accompanying road safety equipment correctly.
Representing the City’s Chief Education Officer, Severia Chalira assured stakeholders that the donated facilities and equipment would be used for their intended purpose.
“As you have heard, the city continues to experience a high number of road traffic accidents, and school-going children have not been spared. We assure you that the equipment received today will be used effectively to help reduce these tragic incidents,” she said.
Mzuzu is among the cities in Malawi with a high number of road traffic accidents. Authorities attribute some of these accidents to the increasing number of untrained bicycle and motorcycle taxi operators, commonly known as Sacramentos and Kabazas.
