Livestock behind 51% of Kavango West car accidents

Livestock roaming on public roads has emerged as the biggest road-safety threat in the Kavango West region this year, accounting for nearly 51% of recorded crashes.

A new report also states that bars located near roads, vulnerable pedestrians and limited enforcement resources compound the region’s road-safety crisis.

This is contained in a report by the National Council standing committee on transport, infrastructure and housing following nationwide public hearings held from 6 to 31.

The hearings examined transport, infrastructure and housing challenges across the country, with road safety emerging as a major concern in both Kavango West and Kavango East.

“Nearly 51% of all recorded crashes involved domestic animals, making livestock the leading contributor to accidents within the region,” the report states.

Kavango West region recorded 73 accidents during the last quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, including 32 involving domestic animals. The accidents resulted in 10 fatalities and 12 serious injuries, including six fatal crashes and five serious crashes.

The situation worsened in the first quarter of 2026/27, when accidents increased to 85, with 49 involving animals. The period recorded five fatalities and nine serious injuries, including three fatal crashes and five serious crashes.

The report further states that nine fatal crashes resulted in 15 deaths, while pedestrian-related crashes, particularly those involving schoolchildren and people walking along public roads, highlight the continued vulnerability of pedestrians.

Big hurdles

Police have called for stronger liability for livestock owners and safer kraaling practices to prevent animals from wandering onto public roads.

Roadside alcohol outlets have also emerged as a major concern, with police proposing “restrictions on bars near roads” as part of measures to address safety risks.

However, enforcement agencies themselves face significant resource constraints.

Kavango West has only one alcohol intoxilyzer 9000 serving three traffic units and two TruCAM II speed-detection devices for the entire region. Staffing shortages and a lack of patrol vehicles further constrain enforcement, the report states.

Despite these limitations, traffic authorities conducted 18 operations, 225 highway patrols and 4 654 roadworthiness tests. These resulted in 720 summonses, 35 suspensions for unroadworthiness, 31 drink-driving cases and 105 warrants of arrest being executed.

Kavango East

In Kavango East, the road-safety problem is broader, with speeding, drunk driving, unlicensed driving, unroadworthy vehicles, overloading, poor sidewalks and lighting, deteriorating gravel roads, animals and roadside alcohol outlets identified as key risks.

Kavango East recorded 577 crashes and 20 fatalities in 2024, compared with 530 crashes and 15 fatalities in 2025. Serious injuries, however, increased from 67 to 74.

From January to July this year, the region recorded 265 crashes, 10 fatalities and 30 serious injuries. Drink-driving arrests also increased sharply from 56 in 2024 to 173 in 2025.

Police identified B8 hotspots around Rundu, Ndiyona, Divundu and Omega. In 2024, the region recorded 105 animal-related crashes and 52 pedestrian-related crashes.

Enforcement capacity remains a concern, with only five of the 10 traffic vehicles assigned to Kavango East reported to be roadworthy. Police also cited shortages of speed cameras and breathalysers, while Ndiyona and Divundu have no NaTIS testing centres.

The committee found that Namibia’s road-safety system needs stronger coordination, better enforcement, safer road infrastructure and improved emergency response, with crash data used more effectively to target high-risk areas.

It recommended a national road-safety strategy with measurable targets, a demerit-point system, tougher penalties for serious and repeat offences, improved driver training and licensing, and stronger enforcement capacity. It also backed expanded rail infrastructure to shift heavy freight from roads and called for greater coordination among agencies responsible for road safety.