Manzini, Eswatini - In close collaboration with CIFAL Durban, the eThekwini Municipal Academy (EMA) and its Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE), UNITAR officially inaugurated its workshop training series on "Management Practices for Safer Roads". The inaugural workshop took place in Manzini, Eswatini, and will be followed by sessions in South Africa across Gqebertha (25 November), Rustenburg (27 November), and Mpumalanga (28 November).
The workshops aim to strengthen road safety initiatives across the region by targeting government officials and law enforcement officers with a focus on:
- Enhancing capacity for road assessments.
- Equipping road safety stakeholders with methodologies and tools to identify corrective measures aimed at improving existing road infrastructure.
- Promoting compliance with road safety regulations through strengthened enforcement mechanisms and collaboration between traffic authorities at various levels.
- Fostering behavioural change among road users to support safer practices.
The opening session in Manzini has already trained 41 government officials. The upcoming workshops are expected to engage and equip an additional 300 participants with practical knowledge and actionable tools.
Participants at the Mazini session received a comprehensive overview of global and regional road safety statistics, followed by insights into the global road safety agenda. Afterwards, the methodology of the toolkit on Management Practices for Safer Roads was presented accompanied by examples of country interventions.
The workshop also included an interactive component where participants worked through a practical exercise using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) methodology to address road safety challenges. By the end of the session, attendees were equipped to articulate key global road safety frameworks and apply problem-solving approaches to improve safety outcomes in the region.
CIFAL Durban Director Prof. Milo Ngubane emphasized during the event
"The toolkit management practices for safer roads can only be effective if countries follow the three E's code: Education, Engineering, and Enforcement.
He explained that road users must be educated on road safety measures, engineering must ensure the creation of safe infrastructure, and once these elements are in place, law enforcement can effectively be applied".
