Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) Petronella Masabane said a social media post showing vehicles of the ministry, stuck in dunes at the coastal area is an authorised defensive driving training exercise.

Masabane was responding to a question on social media on what the four expensive double-cab Toyota vehicles from the Oshana region were doing on Langstrand, in the Erongo region among other comments.

In a media statement issued on Thursday, Masabane explained that the authorised defensive driving training exercise is conducted annually to comply with the project requirements of the Development Donor.

This exercise is done because the drivers have specific duty stations and their work is not confined to a specific region or facility, she said.

Defensive driving training, she noted takes place in different parts of the country to acquaint drivers with different types of terrain and driving conditions because, although the drivers have a specific duty station, their work is not confined to a specific region.

“It is worth noting that all drivers, whether project-funded or appointed in positions on the Ministry’s staff establishment, undergo tests to assess their driving skills, road safety knowledge and understanding of the legal obligations road users have before an appointment,” Masabane said.

Furthermore, the Ministry did a survey among drivers and all preferred to undergo training with the vehicles assigned to them and in this instance, procured by a Development Partner, the Deputy Executive Director noted.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency