Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson will today hand over three Welisizwe rural bridges in Umzinyathi, KwaZulu-Natal, to benefit local communities.
The Minister will be joined by his Deputy Sihle Zikalala, KwaZulu-Natal Member of the Executive Council for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer and the Mayor of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Cyril Xaba.
Through the Welisizwe Rural Bridge Programme, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure aims to construct 96 bridges in rural communities each year, working in collaboration with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to connect communities to schools, hospitals and other essential services.
Earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over complete bridges in the rural area of Mkhambathini in KwaZulu-Natal.
At the time, President Ramaphosa said the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme remains one of government’s top priorities, as these bridges improve the safety, well-being, and access for communities in rural areas.
“Because of climate change, extreme weather events like flooding are becoming increasingly common. Communities living along and close to rivers are particularly vulnerable. That is why we see building more Welisizwe rural bridges as a priority.
“The purpose of the programme is to improve the safety and well-being for rural communities, who have to cross rivers on a daily basis; to boost the local economy by making mobility easier, to create jobs, and support local businesses.
“The bridges that have been handed over today will make it easier for communities to get to the clinic and hospital, school, town and places of work. It will make it easier for them to fetch supplies and to take produce to the market,” the President said.
The President said that during the construction of these bridges, community members benefitted from work opportunities created through the Expanded Public Works Programme.
The Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme is a result of the objectives announced in the 2023 State of the Nation Address, which outlined government’s plan to construct at least 96 bridges during the 2023/24 financial year. – SAnews.gov.za
