ZAMBIAN BREWERIES BACKS RTSA DRINK-DRIVE CAMPAIGN

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Zambian Breweries joined hands with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) in Ndola last week as part of a ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ campaign. The RTSA operation targeting drink-drivers was supported, on the ground, by Zambian Breweries managers based at the Ndola Plant.
The crackdown was not only aimed at catching motorists over the limit, but was also used to enforce rules and regulations as well as road safety education on drink-driving to reduce the number of deaths and injuries.
“We have a dream to create a better world and that can only be achieved with a safe and healthy environment and community,” said Zambian Breweries’ corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele. “The enforcement exercises are a way to go as we continue to get the message across on responsible drinking and the dangers of drinking and driving to our consumers and the community. At Zambian Breweries, we think it’s our responsibility not only to share that message with everybody, but also to back the government and institutions such as the RTSA through such initiatives as the road safety campaign.”

The operation was conducted by RTSA at strategic points in Ndola, in the company of Zambian Breweries staff. Drivers in the city were stopped and breathalysed at random to check their alcohol levels. The brewing company has taken a bold step in curbing alcohol abuse and drinking and driving. Mr Sekele added: “Charity begins at home and last year we made sure that we educated our staff, especially our drivers, on the perils of drinking and driving. We bought 10 breathalysers, four of which we donated internally to our staff for our in-house education and awareness programmes and the remaining six we donated to our partners, the RTSA.” The path to responsible drinking and to never drink and drive is a key message the brewing company has dedicated to spread in 2018. Zambian Breweries is committed to making sure consumers enjoy alcohol in a responsible manner. Zambian Breweries has a standing partnership and commitment with the RTSA that was signed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2016. The MoU aims at curbing drink driving and ensuring safety on the roads with a view to cutting the number of road accidents. The company, together with the Zambian Road Agency, hopes to see a new Zambia, where motorists and other road users begin to accept that alcohol abuse and drink-driving are socially unacceptable.
With its responsible drinking and don’t drink and drive campaigns in force, consumers are encouraged to be accountable and responsible for the way in which they consume alcohol. If you do have too much to drink, you should hire a taxi or get a friend or member of your family who hasn’t been drinking to drive you.
Zambian Breweries has made a bold commitment to saving lives on the roads. In 2017, there was a fall in the number of deaths and injuries on our highways. The company is determined to bring the figures down further this year by working closely with its partners.