Giant alcoholic beverages producer, Castel Malawi has responded swiftly to calls from authorities in Mzuzu to help reduce road traffic accidents involving primary school pupils by investing K10 million in road safety infrastructure and equipment.
The donation includes pedestrian zebra crossings, traffic cones, handheld STOP/GO traffic control paddles, white gloves, and other road safety equipment. These will benefit seven primary schools in the city, including St. Peter’s Primary School, where a pedestrian zebra crossing has already been painted and officially handed over to the Mzuzu City Council.
Receiving the facility at St. Peter’s Primary School on Tuesday, Mzuzu City Mayor Chiyembekezo Glyn Moses commended Castel Malawi for the timely intervention, saying the facilities and equipment will help address the growing number of road traffic accidents 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.
“We were moved by the request from the authorities here in Mzuzu and decided to provide this support.”
Gloria Zimba
Castel Malawi’s Director of Corporate Affairs
