Dilapidated bridge has residents worried
"We are only utilising the bridge because there is no alternative, if a motorist who is unfamiliar with the road uses it, chances are his vehicle might end up in the river," said Mr Pius Phatha, a resident.
BURGERSFORT – Residents from Ga-Motodi Village are concerned about the dilapidated Tswetlane bridge. According to residents, the recent heavy rain made the conditions of the bridge dangerous and risky.
“We are only utilising the bridge because there is no alternative, if a motorist who is unfamiliar with the road uses it, chances are his vehicle might end up in the river,” said Mr Pius Phatha, a resident.
The concerned residents said walking over the bridge was no longer safe, especially for children. An angry parent, Bongi Mathe shared she had to accompany her two children to school every morning. Before getting to the primary schools or even Dikotope Secondary School, one needs to use the bridge to get there. The bridge is also used as a shortcut to get to other villages like Stasie and Thushanang.
Meanwhile other residents suspect thugs might have stolen the steel rods used to hold the bridge together.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News contacted GTM’s spokesman, Mr Thabiso Mokoena who said it was not the municipality’s responsibility to fix the bridge.
“It’s the duty of the Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) to fix the bridge not GTM,” he said. At the time of going to print, SDM spokesman Mr Willie Mosoma’s phone rang unanswered.
Meanwhile GTM has started building the Bothashoek and Mabocha access bridges, scheduled to be completed before the end of the year.
