Govt must find solution- SWANCEFA

M– Meanwhile, the Swaziland Network Campaign for Education for All (SWANCEFA) Executive Director, Nelisiwe Nhlabatsi, said the issue of the pupils is in two folds.

Nhlabatsi said the fear is twofold as its either the bridge could collapse, preventing the learners from crossing and making it more difficult for them to pursue their education or it could collapse while the learners are actually on the bridge causing tremendous harm.

Nhlabatsi said as an organisation and concerned parents with either possibility unacceptable, government must find a solution.

Safe

Nhlabatsi said government needs to commit to supporting by securing the safe passage of learners

dren,” he added.

Magagula said he was aware of the attempts to reconstruct the footbridge but he too later learned that the contractor abandoned the site.

However, Magagula said all they needed was material like timber and wire, that they could use to fix the bridge because the rainy season which causes much danger is about to start.

He further said he was not privileged to the information that led to the project being abandoned because the company started promisingly with a construction of another temporal footbridge.

He said they were informed that the temporal footbridge which had now fallen apart, was going to be used while the old footbridge was being dismantled for rehabilitation.

However, Magagula said the company disappeared

The sign showing the direction to Phemba School around Croydon in Dvokolwako.

to and fro school.

She went on to state that in order to achieve SDG4 as a country there is need to have a proactive commitment to eliminating barriers impeding the right to education including making sure that schools are easily accessible to all learners including hard to reach communities.

without a trace and they had no control over the affairs of such a project.

Meanwhile, Mkhiweni Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Masuku said he was well aware of the footbridge construction that was pending completion, towards Phemba Primary School.

Masuku disclosed that he was informed the project was re-issued to a specialist architecture who was tasked with redesigning the original structure that failed and resulted in the halting of the project.

Masuku assured the Eswatini News that the footbridge project would resume in no time as he was expecting its commissioning. “I have been informed that the drawings are readily available for being handed over for the start of the construction of the footbridge,” added Masuku.

He further disclosed to the Eswatini News that

Primary

“We need to adopt legislation to recognise the right to education for all learners which applies accessibility standards to learning environments,” said Nhlabatsi.

She said by adopting such standards this would ensure the provision of safe and effective learning environments for all.

funding for the footbridge was approved and is under the Regional Development Fund ( RDF). “I am well aware that the footbridge will be commissioned soon and that will be done before the start of the rainy season,” said Masuku.

patience

He pleaded for patience stating that construction was stopped after it was realised that there was a need to go back to the drawing board to ensure a safe and durable footbridge that would last for years.

He also shared that he was concerned as an MP when a project is not materialising yet the people have made a request for such assistance.

“Our role is to ensure we work together with the inkhundla team that developmental projects are approved and implemented to their finality and the footbridge will remain a sore until it is completed,” said Masuku.