Mayor officially opens Mkhonjana River Bridge

A newly constructed bridge has been officially opened at Mkhonjana village, where five people reportedly lost their lives while attempting to cross the river during heavy rainfall.

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality Executive Mayor Madoda Papiyana led the official opening of the Mkhonjana River Bridge on Thursday morning.

According to the municipality, the bridge was constructed by Sweetbean (Pty) Ltd and completed within four months — five months ahead of the initial nine-month construction period.

The municipality said the river crossing had posed a serious danger to residents for many years, particularly after heavy rain. Five community members reportedly died while attempting to cross the Bholothwa River, while several others narrowly escaped similar incidents.

The completed project is expected to provide residents with a safer and more reliable route across the river during adverse weather conditions.

As part of the development, the contractor also constructed an internal road through the village. The road provides improved access to Mkhonjana Primary School and surrounding households.

The municipality said the new bridge and internal road would improve safety, movement and access to services for the Mkhonjana community.