by Ncaba Ntshakala
Residents of the Buseleni community can now cross the Mkhondvo River after a temporary footbridge was reconstructed following devastating floods earlier this week.
The flooding swept away the original bridge, grounding residents and cutting off access to essential services.
Unfortunately, the damage extends beyond this single bridge, as nearly all crossings over the Mkhondvo River were destroyed, leaving communities stranded and vulnerable.
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The Acting Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, accompanied by Minister for Tinkhundla Administration and Development Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nkwene, visited the site to observe the ongoing temporary reconstruction efforts over the past weekend.
The APM expressed her gratitude to the residents, particularly the young people, who turned out in large numbers to assist contractors engaged by Micro Projects in restoring the footbridge.
She commended their collective effort in ensuring that movement was reinstated, even if temporarily. Once the water recedes, permanent construction will commence to provide a long-term solution for the affected communities.
The Acting Prime Minister also lauded the Inkhundla Council for its proactive role in ensuring that services were restored to the community.
During her previous visit on Wednesday, residents had voiced concerns over a food shortage caused by their inability to cross the river to access shops.
In response, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) arranged for food distribution by helicopter.
The APM specifically thanked the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force for their swift response in deploying helicopters for assessments, attending to emergencies, and transporting food supplies from the Inkhundla to affected areas.
Minister Sikhumbuzo Dlamini echoed the APM’s sentiments, expressing his appreciation for the government’s timely assistance to the vulnerable residents of his constituency.
He highlighted the significance of the intervention in alleviating the hardship experienced by the community.
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Vusi Dlamini, a resident of the area, shared his experience, describing how the floods had left them stranded, without electricity, and unable to access food for several days.
He expressed gratitude for the government’s intervention, which he said was timely and lifesaving.
The Acting Prime Minister also toured several other bridges completely destroyed by the river, assessing the scale of the damage.
Her visit follows a promise made earlier in the week to do everything within her power to assist the stranded residents.
Today’s developments reflect her commitment to that promise, as the community begins to recover from the aftermath of the devastating floods.
