Minister Patricia de Lille: Hand over of Empangeni bridge

• Published date: 05 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise

KZN MEC for Public and Human Settlements, Jomo Sibiya

Mayor of the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, Cllr. Thamsanqa Ntuli

Mayor of the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality, Cllr. Mbangiseni Biyela

Deputy Mayor, Phumlani Ntombela

Ward 10 Councillor, Thandinkosi Mkhize and all councillors

Traditional Leader, Chief: Nkosi Biyela

Government officials from various departments and spheres of government

Community members

Members of the media

Good morning, Sanibonani, molweni

It is my great pleasure to be here today in KwaZulu-Natal again to hand over yet another bridge to a community in need. This is one of three recently completed bridges here in KwaZulu Natal.

I am also delighted to be joined by my colleague, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise as her department is a key stakeholder in this project and ensuring that these bridges are installed quickly.

As I always say, infrastructure is not just about cold, cement buildings, it is about life-saving measures such as these bridges which will provide decent and safe access to this community who for many years risked their lives to cross the river to get to schools, clinics and places of work.

Today we are pleased to come to this community to hand over your bridge and I know that the community has waited long and you have been very patient.

Thank you for being patient because I will be the first to say that you have waited too long for this basic infrastructure to ensure that you have safe access.

We always see the horror stories of how our community members and children have to cross river streams to get to school and work and many times, people and children have lost their lives drowning due to lack of infrastructure.

This is something we are working hard to stop through this intervention, the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme which has been successfully implemented in the Eastern Cape and here in KwaZulu Natal.

Since last April, all partners have worked together to ensure that we complete the 14 bridges planned for various communities in KZN.

In November 2021 we handed over the 11th bridge to the community in Ndwedwe and today we are pleased that we can finally hand over the Nsimbakazi Bridge in the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality.

Two more bridges have been completed and these will be handed over to the communities by the provincial government. These are the Nyalazi bridge in Mtubatuba Local Municipality and the Okhombe bridge in the Okhahlamba...