A R220,000 bridge in Maqwathini, Lupapasi, Eastern Cape, collapsed amid heavy rain in December 2021, barely a month after a government contractor built it. Residents now urge the government to construct a stronger and more secure building. During severe rains last month, a bridge linking residents in the Eastern Cape to key services in town collapsed.
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When the severe rains arrived, the business contracted to build the road and bridge had not finished the project and had closed for the December holidays. Residents are requesting that the government fix the problem by building a stronger, raised bridge. Meanwhile, shop owners and residents have spent their own money to build a temporary bridge so that they may continue to travel to and from town.
Collapse of the Bridge in Maqwathini
During severe rains in December 2021, a bridge linking residents from Maqwathini in Lupapasi and adjacent regions in the Eastern Cape to critical services in town such as shops and hospitals collapsed. Residents have been forced to cross the river using the deteriorating bridge for several weeks. Emalahleni Local Municipality governs Maqwathini Village.
According to community leader Headman Gungqa, the eight-kilometre road was completed in November at the cost of roughly R8 million by a contractor named Qush Plant Hire. The road, including the bridge, was still being built when the firm took a break for the holidays in December. However, when heavy rains arrived at the end of December, the makeshift bridge was partially swept away, making crossing perilous for automobiles and pedestrians.
Unathi Binqose, the spokeswoman for the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, said authorities are currently busy supporting communities and evaluating the damage caused by the recent floods. When queried about the project’s specifications and the contract with Qush, he simply acknowledged that the bridge’s budget was R220,000. Binqose stated that the agency intends to construct a larger structure since the volume of water under the bridge was greater than anticipated.
