KwaNobuhle residents fed up with NMB govt’s false promises after failure to fix collapsed bridge

KWANOBUHLE - Residents of KwaNobuhle township in Eastern Cape said they're fed up with government's false promises after failure to fix a collapsed bridge within the prescribed timeframe.

It's been almost a year since the Matanzima Bridge collapsed due to heavy rainfall and soil erosion, but the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is yet to fix it.

The bridge is the only route connecting KwaNobuhle to the rest of Gqeberha.

Motorists and taxis have had to use a gravel detour that goes around the collapsed bridge to access the township.

A frustrated community member from KwaNobuhle in Gqeberha feels the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has become synonymous with broken promises.

"They were starting to work here when the president arrived but as soon as he left, these people stopped work on this bridge."

He said the municipality may not fully grasp the impact the collapsed bridge has had on the daily lives of residents.

"We had students who were supposed to write their national exams but couldn’t do so. We had residents who had job interviews but couldn’t go for those interviews. So, you can see the overall impact the bridge is having on our lives."

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality had initially pledged to begin repair work by the end of 2024, but nothing has materialised.

Instead, it now claims that repairs will only commence in May.