Desmarius Hansen
Home affairs minister Lucia Iipumbu has challenged police officers manning roadblocks to look beyond vehicle and driver licences, warning that irresponsible behaviour, including drinking behind the wheel, is contributing to road accidents, while also urging the public to remain responsible and not blame accidents on witchcraft.
Iipumbu said officers should intensify searches and pay closer attention to the conduct of motorists and passengers, particularly during the upcoming festive season, instead of focusing almost exclusively on documentation.
She made the remarks during an engagement with law enforcement officials at the Oshikoto regional headquarters in Omuthiya on Monday, where she specifically challenged officers operating at the Oshivelo roadblock to rethink their approach to road safety inspections.
“You have homework. It is my considered view that activities we carry out during holiday border patrols are not up to standard,” she said.
The minister questioned whether existing roadblocks were adequately addressing the behaviour that puts motorists and other road users at risk.
“The activities that cause accidents, especially around the festive season, go unnoticed. We pass by there with our bakkies and sedans with cool boxes full of all sorts of drinks, drinking along the way, with music that is playing so loud,” she said.
“When we come there, all that we check is the licensing of the car, or the licensing of the driver, but not the human behaviour of the people who are in the vehicles.”
Iipumbu also addressed a recent trend that undermines officers’ efforts to enforce road safety.
“Because when they pass there, the drinking starts, and one thing I know about us motorists, we warn each other. If there is a roadblock at some turn, we inform each other: ‘Hey, watch out, they are there,’” she said.
She urged officers to intensify searches and make the assessment of human behaviour a central part of their road safety responsibilities.
“Let us intensify the searches. Let us also measure human behaviour, so that tomorrow, if accidents happen, we don’t talk about witchcraft and who bewitched who, when the problem is our own human irresponsibilities,” she said.
Her remarks come as Namibia continues to grapple with a high road accident toll. Between 1 January and 1 November 2026, the country recorded 2 458 road crashes, leaving 4 175 people injured and 368 dead, according to figures announced by acting Inspector General of Police Major General Anne-Marie Nainda.
The figures highlight the urgency of strengthening preventative measures as traffic volumes are expected to increase during the festive season.
However, Iipumbu cautioned against attributing every road death to irresponsible driving, acknowledging that mechanical defects and other circumstances also contribute to accidents.
“I am also not saying everyone that dies on our roads is from irresponsible behaviour. There are also accidents that can be caused by bad tyres or disabilities that are impaired somehow,” she said.
