KwaNongoma Municipality mayor Albert Mncwango with council members at the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the causeway.
KwaNongoma Municipality mayor Albert Mncwango has said a causeway, pictures of which have been trending on social media with some users questioning the amount spent for it, was not a waste of money.
Mlungisi Mngoma lekelela u Mluleki Mlu Mbewana akasekho, bridges are expensive and that is a fact!
Posted by Verus Thobelani Ncamphalala on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Pictures of the mayor accompanied by the municipality’s council members at a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the causeway have been trending social media, with some users taking issue with its design and cost.
Mncwango said the bridge, which was “not an overnight” job, cost between an estimated R3.5 million and R4 million, with construction work having started on 15 April 2019 and its official opening held on Tuesday.
Well, today the mayor of the IFP-run municipality of Nongoma, Albert Mncwango, opened this “multi-million bridge”….
Posted by Zanele Khena on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
A project of this kind involves “a lot of work” and workers, including consultants, architects and designers, among others, which contributed to the total money spent on it, the mayor said.
The pictures on social media were not a true depiction of the entire project, the mayor said, adding that there were pictures available that show the area before the causeway was constructed and which would indicate why a decision was taken to build it.
Nee Oom C julle vat ons nou rerig vir n ???????? dan se julle daar is nie geld vir ons verhooging nie.
Posted by Lester Hendricks on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
“At face value, it looks like cement was just poured over the river,” the mayor said, explaining that the causeway runs 5 metres to 6 metres deep into the river bed.
Ewu kwenzakalani kwaNongoma kodwa ????
Posted by King Kesi on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Mncwango added that a causeway did not look like a multi-million overheard bridge, which the municipality could not afford anyway.
Posted by Booza Nuz on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
The causeway, he said, was not a waste of money and its construction resulted in the communities in the area getting an 8km long road which was not there.
Mncwango said about four children going to school had lost their lives trying to cross the river where the causeway had been constructed.
The construction of the causeway, he added, had solved the problem of school pupils having to cross the river which floods during the rainy season. Challenges around transportation had also been resolved, the mayor said.
The mayor said the social media posts mocking the causeway did not mention that the community appreciated its construction.
Mncwango added that the budget for the causeway was accepted unanimously by the municipality’s multi-party council, saying that the ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by councillors from different political parties.
He said “it was very unfortunate” that “government and legislature leaders” were among those spreading “misinformation” on social media about the causeway.
Uhlulekile umphakathi ukuzibamba ngenxa yenjabulo ngesikhathi kuvulwa ibhuloho kwa ward7 endaweni yakwaNdongande,…
Posted by Nongoma Municipality on Tuesday, December 8, 2020
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
