NRSF

03/04/2026

02/04/2026

Heavy traffic is experienced at Okapuka Roadblock (+600 vehicles/hr). Much less is experienced at Wilhelmstal (+300 vehicles/hr)

26/03/2026

Plan Your Trip – Or Regret It
This Easter as of most other times, crashes are the result of poor planning.
• Driving in the DARK.
• Driving TIRED.
• Skipping basic VEHICLE CHECKS.
• Ignoring SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCES
These are small decisions that lead to life-changing consequences. The reality is simple:
• If you fail to plan your trip, you are planning your risk.
• When things go wrong, you may have to live with guilt for the rest of your life.
Arriving late is better than not arriving at all.

24/03/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA BRIEFING: URGENT ROAD SAFETY ADVISORY FOR NAMIBIAN ROAD USERS

–The Namibian Police Force herewith issues an urgent advisory to all motorists travelling across Namibia following reports of hazardous driving conditions caused by heavy rainfall. Reliable reports indicate that in several areas, particularly in the northern, central, and southern parts of the country, water is currently gushing over roadways, creating life-threatening situations.

Road users are strongly cautioned to exercise extreme vigilance. The combination of accumulated water and wet asphalt has significantly reduced tyre grip, making roads extremely slippery. To ensure the safety of all commuters, the public is advised to adhere strictly to the following safety protocols:

1. REDUCE SPEED SIGNIFICANTLY:
Motorists must adjust their driving speed to match the prevailing conditions. Sudden braking or sharp manoeuvring on wet roads can lead to loss of vehicle control. Drivers are urged to obey all speed limits and reduce speed well below the posted limit in areas where water is visible on the road surface.

2. INCREASE FOLLOWING DISTANCE:**
Stopping distances are dramatically increased on wet roads. Road users are advised to maintain a following distance of at least **five to six seconds** behind the vehicle in front to allow for adequate reaction time and safe braking.

3. ENSURE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE FUNCTIONAL:
Visibility is critical during these conditions. Drivers must verify that their windshield wipers are in good working condition and free from defects. Worn or damaged wipers should be replaced immediately before embarking on any journey.

4. AVOID DRIVING THROUGH FLOWING WATER:
Motorists are warned not to attempt to drive through roads where water is gushing or pooling over the roadway. It is extremely difficult to judge the depth of water or the integrity of the road surface beneath. As little as 30 centimetres (approximately one foot) of flowing water can sweep away a vehicle. **Turn around, do not drown.**

5. SWITCH ON HEADLIGHTS:
Ensure headlights are switched on to increase visibility to other road users, even during daylight hours.

The public is encouraged to monitor weather updates from the Namibia Meteorological Services and to postpone non-essential travel until conditions improve.

Emergency Contacts:
Should road users require assistance or wish to report hazardous road conditions, they are urged to contact the relevant traffic authorities or emergency services immediately.

Stay safe, stay alert, and let us work together to prevent loss of life on our roads.

08/03/2026

Happy International Women's Day

25/02/2026

29/01/2026

The consequences of someone's irresponsibility will remain the pain for many others. As indicated in the responses, according to research done by the MVA-Fund more than 70% of all crashes are preventable, considering global research figures it is claimed that more than 96% of all crashes are preventable. Why do we remain calling it an accident? Statistically Namibia loses on average more than one person a day, due to inconsiderate behaviour on the road. Road Safety is a shared responsibility.

12 years on, Joschko awaits outcome of legal suit for loss of entire family

Staff Reporter

ANTONIA Joschko, who was 16 years old when her family was killed in a car accident near Henties Bay on 29 December 2014, will have to wait until the end of February 2026 to hear the outcome of a civil suit against the man convicted of culpable homicide in connection with the accident.

Joschko, who initially claimed more than N$14 million from Jandré Dippenaar (42), has revised the amount to just over N$6 million. While Dippenaar was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for the accident that claimed the lives of Markus and Stephanie Joschko and their 19-year-old daughter, Alexandre, the sole surviving family member, Antonia, is seeking damages for emotional trauma, loss of a support system, and funeral costs.

In an affidavit filed towards the end of last year, Joschko recounted the fateful day that changed her life forever.

“In the moments leading up to the collision, I remember that my father was driving the vehicle and my mother was sitting next to him in the front left seat. My sister was sitting directly behind my mother, and I was seated behind my father. All of us had our seatbelts on. I remember that the radio was playing softly in the background, and I was turned slightly towards my left and towards the centre of the vehicle, as I was engaging my sister and my mother in conversation. I remember that we were laughing at ourselves because we were dressed in really ‘touristy’ type clothing, which is typical of the clothing that German tourists wear when they are ‘on safari in Africa’,” Antonia recounted.

She added that, without warning, a white vehicle with a silver-coloured bar in front, driven by Dippenaar, appeared directly in front of their vehicle and was fast approaching.

She said that although her father attempted to swerve out of the left lane, from which the oncoming vehicle was approaching, it was too late.

“It was as if all of us saw the car at the same time. Almost instantaneously upon observing the vehicle, I remember hearing a collective gasp of shock from my parents and my sister, and the next thing I remember was a loud crash,” Antonia said.

She added that moments after the crash, she held her sister’s hand, but it was cold and limp, which frightened her due to the lack of reaction.

“One of the onlookers broke the window and pulled me out of the car by my arms, which caused me excruciating pain in my stomach and abdominal area. The ambulances, emergency medical personnel, and paramedics arrived at the scene reasonably quickly and initially attended to Mr Dippenaar first. I remember that this made me angry because I was in pain, and nobody was attending to my injuries,” Antonia said.

She added that after being transferred from Swakopmund State Hospital to Walvis Bay State Hospital, she was informed by a doctor that her parents and sister had passed away.

“I remained in Walvis Bay Hospital until 31 December 2014 and was discharged before then as I did not want to spend New Year in hospital. My travel insurance company organised for a doctor to be flown from Germany to Walvis Bay, who would then accompany me back to Germany on a commercial flight. Despite this, I did not want to return to Germany immediately and wanted to stay in Namibia to celebrate my mother's birthday, as that was, after all, the whole reason we had come to Namibia. After we celebrated my mother’s birthday, I flew back to Germany,” Antonia said.

She added that the total cost of the funeral and burial amounted to €5,743.35, which translates to N$116,556.69, while her claim includes N$5.4 million for loss of support and N$500,000 in general damages.

PERSEVERING: Antonia Joschko. Photo: Contributed.

24/01/2026

The question is, WHY? If we have it correct, Safety and Security, is the constitutional right of every Namibian, a Motorcade ignores all the rules of the road, and therefore endangers the life of the road users. Nobody is above the law.

VIP Motorcades Must Serve Security, Not Privilege

OPINION|

VIP motorcades are a standard security practice worldwide, but in Namibia their use has increasingly raised concern. Heavily armed convoys, excessive speed, and dangerous maneuvers toward oncoming traffic put ordinary road users at risk...often without any clear threat to justify such force.

Security must be proportionate to risk, not to title. Full motorcade protection should be reserved for the President and visiting heads of state. Extending the same level of protection to multiple officials creates unnecessary danger, fuels public frustration, and sends the wrong message in a country where citizens value humility and accountability.

Protecting leaders should never come at the expense of public safety. Discipline, restraint, and respect for road users are essential. A government that truly serves its people must prioritize their safety...on and off the road.

11/12/2025

Road Users must be accountable for their behaviour whilst on the Road. Road Safety is a shared responsibility.

Dippenaar loses bid to overturn murder conviction related to car crash

Staff Reporter

JANDRÉ Dippenaar, a Henties Bay resident who was sentenced to 15 years in prison on six counts of murder in connection with the fatal road collision in which he was involved in December 2014, has lost a case in the High Court in which he tried to overturn his sentence.

Dippenaar’s case is the first in Namibia’s legal history in which a road accident led to a murder conviction rather than culpable homicide. The crash resulted in the deaths of three passengers in Dippenaar’s car and three members of a visiting German family, after Dippenaar allegedly overtook vehicles at high speed on a blind rise near Henties Bay, in a manoeuvre that led to a head-on collision with another vehicle.

High Court judges Peter Shivute and Boas Usiku delivered a judgment on an appeal challenging the conviction, with Dippenaar contending that murder with dolus eventualis was not proved.

Dippenaar was initially convicted in the Regional Court sitting in Swakopmund, among other things, of reckless driving, contravening section 80(1) of the Road Traffic and Transport Act 22 of 1999, and sentenced to an N$8 000 fine or, in default of payment, two years’ imprisonment. He was further convicted on six counts of murder with dolus eventualis arising from the collision of motor vehicles. The six counts were taken together, and he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Grounds of appeal, among other things, included the contention that the court ignored, rejected or attached less weight to the evidence of expert witnesses as opposed to the evidence of eyewitnesses’ testimonies.

In their ruling, the High Court judges found that the proper approach to dealing with expert witness testimony vis-à-vis eyewitness testimony includes the consideration that direct and credible evidence of what happened in the collision generally carries greater weight than the opinion of an expert witness.

They added that an expert view of what might have probably occurred in a collision must give way to the assertions of the direct and credible eyewitness.

“It is only where such direct evidence of an eyewitness is so improbable that its very credibility is impugned that an expert’s opinion as to what may or may not have occurred can persuade the court to the expert’s view,” the judges said.

They further held that the court which convicted Dippenaar correctly drew inferences consistent with the proven facts.

“The court made credibility findings. It is trite that the discretion to accept or reject evidence lies primarily with the trial court. The court of appeal can only interfere with the exercise of that discretion by the trial court if irregularities or misdirections have been shown or are apparent from the record. The court found no misdirection on the trial court’s part,” the judges said.

Photo: File

28/10/2025

We wholeheartedly agree. Road Safety is a shared responsibility. It's time for al to deliver, government, business and civil society alike.

Transport minister Veikko Nekundi has issued a strong warning to agencies responsible for road safety, saying he will fire officials who fail to deliver concrete action to curb...

15/08/2025

From the perspective of Road Safety, all begging, as well as trading, at intesections is a huge risk. In the case of children, if they are being forced to beg, those forcing them, for example in the Grove Mall vicinity, should be held responsible.

This was said in a presentation on the national strategy on children living and working on the streets in Windhoek, which was conducted by ministry official Enjouline Kole this week.

22/07/2025

Keeping the Internationally Recommended safe following distance of 2 seconds for sedan vehicles and 3 seconds for trucks, calculates to 66 meters (more than half a soccer field) in distance at the National speeds of 120 km/h and 80/km/h.

In this week’s Have Your Say, Joseph Nangombe reminds us that reckless overtaking and ignoring road rules put everyone at risk. Small actions behind the wheel can make a big difference. What driving habits do you think need the most attention in Namibia? Share your thoughts.