LOOK: eZulwini learners cross dilapidated bridge to get to school

While many travelled easily on their first day of school, learners from Mkomaas in KwaZulu-Natal had to cross a dilapidated bridge that posed a danger to their lives. 

Wednesday, 18 January, marked the start of the 2023 academic year for schools in the coastal region. 

LEARNERS CROSS DILAPIDATED BRIDGE

The bridge which doesn’t have rails in the middle was also destroyed during the April 2022 floods that battered parts of KwaZulu-Natal and caused significant damage to infrastructure. 

Speaking to 1KZNTV, one of the matric learners at eZulwini Combined School, Sabelo Mfeka, said it is difficult to cross the bridge whenever it is raining because it gets submerged under water. 

Mfeka said they sometimes skip classes when the river is too full or slippery. He added that they would appreciate it if the bridge was fixed so they could cross without worrying about their safety.

KwaZulu-Natal, like the Eastern Cape, is famous for poor infrastructure in rural areas, leading to learners walking long distances to and from school and others crossing dangerous rivers and bridges to get to school. 

In April 2022, GroundUp reported how people living in Emakhabeleni in northern KwaZulu-Natal struggle to cross the Dimane River, which connects to the Tugela.

Sakhile Masikane, a School Governing Body member of a primary school in the area, told Ground Up he thinks the situation worsens yearly.

Masikane said before, there were places where people could cross as there were big rocks, but now, if the river is full, you stay where you are. 

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