Four years ago, South Africans were shocked by video footage of Zoliswa Mfanekiso being ferried across the raging Mzintlava River inside a large blue plastic container.
Today, little has changed for the residents of Dikidikini village, in Ntabankulu.
Despite government commitments to build a permanent bridge, villagers continue to face dangerous crossings whenever the river swells, with the long-promised structure now expected only in the second half of next year.
The Daily Dispatch undertook the long journey to Dikidikini on Tuesday where 68-year-old Mfanekiso shared her frustration with the slow pace of delivery.
The team witnessed young schoolchildren wading across the river, with the water at knee-level for some. Days like Tuesday are safer to cross.
The problem, residents say, comes when rain causes the river to swell. When that happens, locals make use of the blue plastic containers to cross.
“The Ntabankulu municipality promised to build us a bridge. There were SANDF soldiers who also promised that they will build us a pedestrian bridge. But those promises have not been fulfilled,” said Mfanekiso.
“Our children, some as young as eight, have to cross the river to school. It seems that nobody cares about us. We are just neglected. They just want us to die. It is very risky to cross the river with a container.”
The Ntabankulu municipality admitted to challenges in constructing a permanent bridge across the river but said residents will first receive a 60m modular floating pedestrian walkway bridge through a partnership between the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Old Mutual.
Nontsindiso Msentwa is a teacher at Msekethe Junior Secondary School, a corrugated iron school brought to the village which caters for grades 2 to 3 pupils. She said when it rains, children could not attend school.
The nearest school to the village is 10km away on an uphill trek. Residents believed that has contributed to a number of pupils dropping out of school.
Another resident, 52-year-old Xolani Sontaba, said countless promises of a bridge have been made over the years.
He said they even struggle to carry coffins across the river when it is full and at times are forced to postpone funerals.
“We feel like nobody cares about us,” he said. “We appeal to [President Cyril Ramaphosa] to help us with the situation that we are faced with.”
Municipal spokesperson Zingisa Adams said construction of the temporary walkway was expected to begin in August and be completed by October.
The interim measure follows years of delays after contractors appointed to build the permanent bridge failed to complete the project, with one dispute ending up in court.
A draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP) seen by the Daily Dispatch shows that R20m was initially allocated for the bridge between the 2022/2023 and 2026/2027 financial years.
Dikidikini is in a remote part of Ntabankulu but is closer to Lusikisiki, making the crossing essential for residents travelling to schools, clinics, shops and places of work.
Resident Zanethemba Mbuzweni said the community had been hearing promises of a bridge for almost a decade.
“They kept promising that it would be budgeted for in the next financial year. There’s no bridge even now,” he said.
“We were told Old Mutual had availed about R1.5m for the construction of a footbridge while we wait, but till today we do not know what is happening exactly.
Mbuzweni said he had previously been among the children forced to cross the river to attend school.
He said the use of plastic containers dated back to the mid-1990s after a small boat bought by a villager working in Cape Town was destroyed when it struck rocks, killing three people.
“It’s something we saw from our fathers. When the boat was damaged, people became scared to cross and after a while these containers just became an alternative way to get people across,” he said.
“When you do not have other options, you are forced to take risks.
“Often you just want to cross to the other side to see your family because we are all related in these villages.
“From 2018 when they became aware, the state committed to build us one in 2019 but we are almost in 2027 and we are still talking about a bridge that is yet to be built.”
He said Dikidikini residents still lived without electricity or toilets, patients were carried across the river on steel beds to reach transport and coffins had to be carried by hand for burials.
Adams said the permanent bridge project was being implemented by the Development Bank on behalf of the municipality using funding from the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development, the bank and the municipality.
She said planning and design had been completed.
“The delays experienced over the past few years were mainly due to procurement challenges.
“The first contractor appointed for the project was terminated due to non-performance, while the second appointment was withdrawn after the contractor failed to meet contractual and regulatory compliance requirements,” she said.
“DBSA has since pursued an alternative implementation approach through a partnership with [Raubex] Construction, with the partnership expected to be concluded by the end of July 2026.
“Site handover is anticipated in September 2026, with completion of the permanent bridge projected for September 2027.”
She said the municipality recognised the need for an interim solution while residents waited for the permanent bridge.
“DBSA and Old Mutual have partnered to fund and install a 60-metre modular floating pedestrian walkway bridge across the Mzintlava River.
“Construction is expected to start in August and the project is expected to be completed in October.
“Once completed, this temporary pedestrian bridge will provide a safe crossing for residents while the permanent bridge is under construction.”
During her state of the district address, Alfred Nzo District Municipality mayor Tsileng Sobuthongo said the permanent bridge formed part of a broader programme to improve road connectivity in deep rural communities.
Sobuthongo, who previously also served as Ntabankulu mayor, said the project was jointly funded by the DBSA and the municipality to the tune of R50m.
“We must, however, state that the pace at which DBSA is implementing this project is rather distasteful at this point.
“For nearly three years now, DBSA has been trying to appoint a contractor for this project, at which some declined upon appointment.
“A more prudent approach must be devised because this bridge is a matter of life and death to the people of Dikidikini.”
The DBSA had not responded by the time of publication.
Daily Dispatch
Sikho Ntshobane,Lulamile Feni
www.dailydispatch.co.za
