Footbridge to be constructed for 3 communities
NHLANGANO – The struggles of crossing a river by foot to school by over 300 pupils and numerous community members, will be a thing of the past.
7his is for three communities under the .uMethula and 1gud]eni constit uencies, who have been promised a solution and they were currently col lecting rocks that will be used to build a footbridge across the 3hongolwane 5iver, that had given the commu nities challenges for decades. 7he communities include ka1komonye, /ubaneni and 1gud]eni.
(lderly community members told the 7imes of (swatini that they had been crossing the river by foot since they were young and they were now pensioners.
Overflowing
7hey said that back in the day, they did not care much because they only made a few trips that would be postponed in the event the river was overflowing.
7hey said that what recently be came a concern, was that there were now schools in the area and that their children had to cross twice a day to get to school and back home. 7he community members said that they were worried about the situation of the river as it was now affecting their children.
7here are at least people that cross the river daily and most of them include pupils who attend school at %aleni 3rimary and 1gud]eni +igh 6chools. )or them to get to the other side of the river they had to take off their shoes and socks some even their trousers, cross and wear them on the other side of the river.
5ecently there were rains and the community members detailed that on rainy days, their children did not go to school.
7hey said that the children would sometimes slip resulting in their uni forms and school books getting wet, something that would be worse when the river was overflowing. Male pupils, according to the community members, prefer to jump from one rock to another to avoid taking off their clothes and shoes.
,t was said that there was a commu nity member who also slipped on the rock and fell into the river and had to be rushed to hospital because he was badly injured.
7he community members went on to tell this publication that there were incidents in the past, wherein the rain would start midday when the pupils were at school and they would not be able to get home.
7he community members said their children would then reTuest to sleep a night on the other side of the river.
$ccording to one of the community members 1hlanhla 'lamini, they were sceptical about the project because there was a similar project that was promised by Microprojects, but never took off, after they were made to collect stones just like they were doing now. +e stated that they continuously collected the stones because of the pressure they had from their children.
+e stated that on 7uesdays, they normally met at the river, wherein they would discuss and further collect the wanted rocks.
6imon Mkhatshwa on the other hand e[plained that, as they were collecting the stones, each household was e[pected to contribute ( . 7he money, he said, was used to buy fuel for a tractor that was provided by a community member to be used for the project.
Rains
Mkhatshwa e[plained that during the recent rains, he went to the river and would carry the pupils on his back and assist them in crossing.
+e stated that he usually makes a temporary footbridge out of logs which would be washed away after heavy rains.
Mfanasibili Msibi who is also a community member recalled an inci dent, wherein a community member of ka1komonye got sick and was unable to cross the flooded river and had to be taken back until the river flow was low.
³$ll health facilities are at the 1gud]eni side of the river hence those from 1komonye and /ubaneni &ommunities 5iver usually cross to the other side to access health servic es,” he said.
+e shared that they were hoping that the project would take off and finish as promised.