CUT-OFF RESIDENTS JOIN FORCES TO FIX BRIDGE

NTFONJENI – A damaged bridge has resulted in residents of Lomshiyo being cut off from community services such as clinics and shops. 

Yesterday, the residents grouped to fix a road whose bridge was swept away by the recent floods. The residents said it was now impossible to leave the area in their normal vehicles other than taking a longer route. 

William Dlamini, who said he was speaking on behalf of Chief Tikhontele, said the residents were stranded following the damaged bridge. He said the residents were unable to access basic services. “Every service such as medical care is situated on the other side of the bridge,” he said. 

He said residents were also unable to access services at the Ntfonjeni Inkhundla. Lomshiyo is one of the chiefdoms under Ntfonjeni Inkhundla. 

Dlamini also revealed that residents were now using a route that was close to the South African side because it was shorter. “The road is better that side,” he said. He however mentioned that this was time-consuming. 

However, the residents were only constructing a temporary bridge to allow smaller vehicles to drive through. 

Some of the residents who were found working on the site said they were in a predicament because ambulances would not be able to reach the community should emergencies arise. They said this was the reason they were now forced to fix the bridge. 

One of the residents, Sikhumbuzo Magongo, contributed financially for the purchasing of sand and cement.  He said as a resident of the area, he also used the same road to reach his home. “I cannot let the residents be stranded when I know I have the means to assist,” he said. 

Magongo said he was concerned about the plight of the residents and that he was also affected. He said he could not drive his vehicle and had to park it at one of the shops then walk home, which is a distance of about three kilometres. He further said while some of the residents walked on the side of the damaged bridge, an elderly person couldn’t do the same.

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