LOOK: Would you cross South Africa’s ‘most dangerous bridge’?

For residents in the small Eastern Cape town of Emaxesibeni, part of their daily routine includes risking life and limb if they want to access schools, clinics, or grocery stories – thanks to a rickety and poorly maintained suspension bridge that has been dubbed as ‘the most dangerous in South Africa’.

Is this the most dangerous bridge in South Africa?

The perilous planks stretch across the Umzimvubu River. On a typically unsettled day, the bridge can find itself engulfed by torrents of water, and swinging wildly in the wind. It’s estimated that the lack of safe travel options for residents in this part of the Alfred Nzo Municipality has seen about 30 people lose their lives.

Locals have been swept away by raging tides, while trying to cross this bridge. The fixture was only meant to be a temporary measure, but in a tale that has become all too familiar in Mzansi, this district was forgotten about.

• The DA, however, is gatvol – and they’ll be raising a complaint about the bridge to the SAHRC

“The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) requesting an urgent investigation into the impact of a dangerous suspension bridge on residents of the Emaxesibeni area in the Umzimvubu Municipality.” 

“This crumbling bridge is one of the only means for 2000 residents from seven villages to cross the dangerous Umzimvubu River. Residents have to cross this bridge, that was built 21 years ago as a temporary measure, to get to schools, the clinic and to buy groceries.”

DA statement

Eastern Cape town ‘cut off’ by poor infrastructure

Baxolile Nodada, the Constituency Head for Alfred Nzo, has deemed the two decades of neglect for the region as unacceptable. The DA MP firmly believes that ‘human dignity’ has been impaired here.

Sadly, the region is also blighted by a lack of clean or running water. Residents have raised numerous complaints about falling ill as a result of their living conditions – exacerbating an already-problematic situation.

“Over the past years at least 30 villagers have drowned in the river after being swept from the banks, the unsafe suspension bridge or another low-lying bridge in the area. When the river is in full flow, even the suspension bridge is too dangerous to cross, cutting villagers off from the outside world.”

“The Constitution states that every citizen has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being: No maintenance has ever been done on the bridge. And, When villagers cannot cross the suspension bridge or the river, they are deprived of their basic human rights.”

Baxolile Nodada