29 Apr 2025

The Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA) Fund Chief Executive Officer, Mr Michael Tlhagwane has revealed that 346 people lost their lives in 2024 due to road accidents, with men constituting a staggering 78 per cent of these fatalities.

This surfaced during a Men’s Road Safety Pitso held in Kanye on Monday, themed: Borra, Imagine Life Without You, which gathered over 200 men from the village to discuss strategies for reducing road accidents. Mr Tlhagwane noted that the men’s road safety initiative began last year in Gaborone, recognising the alarming trend of road accidents disproportionately affecting men in the country.

He highlighted that District Number 14, which includes Kanye, Moshupa, Jwaneng, Mabutsane, and Phitshane Molopo, ranked among the most areas affected by road accidents. This, he said, underscored the need for localised discussions and proactive measures in the region.

Emphasising the importance of behaviour change, Mr Tlhagwane called for men to take responsibility for their driving practices to protect themselves and other road users. He pointed out the severe socio-economic repercussions of road accidents, which often devastate families and hindered national productivity.

Citing the 2022 population and housing census, which recorded Botswana’s population at 2 369 609 of which men make up 1 150 344 or 48.3 percent, he warned that the continued loss of men to road accidents could lead to a societal imbalance and regression. Mr Tlhagwane urged men to reflect on their involvement in fatal accidents, stressing that a shift in driving behaviour was crucial for reducing these tragedies.

Senior Superintendent Elias Malope, Officer Commanding Police District Number 14, reported on road safety statistics, revealing that last year saw 726 general accidents, with 32 resulting in fatalities. Of the fatal accidents, 30 involved male drivers and only two involved female drivers.

This marked a slight increase compared to 28 fatal crashes in 2023, he added. Superintendent Malope detailed that their policing area experiences significant traffic volume, necessitating regular monitoring and enforcement.

He reported accident figures for 2022, 2023, and 2024, indicating a decreasing trend in total accidents over the years: 815 in 2022, 763 in 2023, and 726 in 2024. The breakdown of these accidents revealed 568 were due to careless driving, followed by incidents involving roaming animals, drunken driving, and other factors.

Kanye resident Mr William Letlamma, a survivor of four severe road accidents, urged fellow road users to abstain from alcohol consumption and speeding, sharing how his experiences left him disabled and underscoring the real human impact of road fatalities. The event concluded with a call to action for community members to prioritize road safety and become advocates for responsible driving practices to protect lives within their communities. ENDS