Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
Bubi bridge linking communities living along the Sengwe Corridor stretching from Beitbridge district to Chiredzi district which was destroyed by floods seven years ago, is yet to be repaired.
The bridge links the communities of Tshikwalakwala, Tshipise and Tshitulipasi in Beitbridge district and Sengwe, Chikombedzi and Malipati villages in the neighbouring Chiredzi district.
The areas fall under the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP), a vast tract of safari land straddling the borders of Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique.
The affected road is the direct route to the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, which is part of the GLTP hence impacting negatively on tourism activities around the area.
The GLTP joins together some of the most established wildlife areas in Southern Africa into a core area of approximately 37,572 km2. The mega park links Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area on the Zimbabwean side, Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
The Transfrontier park also links two communities, one which forms part of the Kruger National Park, namely the Makuleke Area in South Africa and Sengwe Communal land in Zimbabwe.
The GLTP has a strong Shangaan heritage, which predates European cultures. The heart of the GLTP, the Pafuri area, is the focal point of the two Shangaan clans still holding traditional rule across the three borders: the Maluleke and the Sengwe clans.
Beitbridge East MP Cde Albert Nguluvhe said inaccessibility is impacting negatively on tourism activities around the area.
“It is no longer possible for tourists to visit some of the tourist attractions along the Sengwe Corridor in the district such as Tshipise hot springs, great wildlife and rich cultural tourism. We are appealing to Government to assist by rehabilitating the infrastructure that was destroyed by the floods,” he said.
Mr Dickson Hlongwane, a local village head in Makholwa area in Tshikwalakwala said: “Since the bridge linking our area and the Chiredzi district was washed away, it is now difficult to visit our relatives especially during the rain season.”
Tshikwalakwala and the surrounding villages are situated in low-lying areas, making them prone to floods.
Government recently approved an Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and has budgeted US$400 million to finance corrective, preventive and restoration works over the next 36 months.
The programme is aimed at repairing roads damaged by recent rains as well as previous cyclones. The Second Republic is prioritising infrastructure development with significant progress under the second phase of the ERRP, as part of intensified efforts to improve the country’s road network.
Other key infrastructure projects receiving close Government attention include construction of dams, schools, hospitals, clinics and other key public infrastructure.
Matabeleland South Provincial Road engineer, Engineer Joseph Makokove said the bridge will be repaired under the last phase of ERRP. “We have already done the costing and we are optimistic that the bridge will be repaired under the final phase of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme,” he said.-@mashnets
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