The state of the bridges in Ward 10 of Tembisa are appalling and pose a real threat to the lives of the residents in the community, said DA spokesperson for human settlements in Ekurhuleni Clr Mabenkenyane Thamahane.
Thamahane explains after applying pressure on the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) to repair the deteriorating KwaMatabane Bridge, it has become apparent this bridge is not the only problematic one in the area.
“While walking in the area over the weekend, a concerned resident, Lazarus Ranyadi of Khatlamping Section, approached me in desperation to show me the crumbling structure. He showed me the bridge had been badly damaged by heavy rains in September 2017 and has subsequently not been fixed by the CoE despite contractors visiting the site,” says Thamahane.
He adds residents are gravely concerned with the state of the bridge as many school children need to cross it in order to attend their respective schools, and the memory of two school children being washed away by the river in 2012/13 still remains fresh in their minds.
“With summer rains approaching, the bridge will come under tremendous strain making it an extreme risk to any commuter using it to cross. Unfortunately, this situation is all too familiar under the ANC-run CoE as their inefficiency and negligence has led to the crumbling infrastructure which is evident in Ward 10.
“The DA in Ekurhuleni will not sit by idly while residents’ lives are put at risk by ANC inefficiency and are calling on the CoE to urgently fix these two bridges before the rainy season starts,” adds Thamahane.
Thamahane says in the meantime, he has posed questions in Council to the MMC for Infrastructure Services, Alderman Robert Mashego, for answers as to why these bridges have been neglected.
A comment request was sent to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The Tembisan is waiting for comment.
