The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on the Department of Roads and Public Works to urgently prioritise the repair and upgrade of low water bridges in the Tankwa Karoo and Buffelsriver areas.
This comes after farmers situated 60km out of Calvinia in the Tankwa Karoo area were dealt a double blow last week after an ambulance that was responding to an emergency, washed away on the dilapidated low water bridge over the Bosriver near Middeldrift, while on duty. The bridge was submerged approximately 1.5 meters under water. The emergency care practitioners were rescued but the vehicle and medical equipment is still stuck in the river. In a separate incident, it was reported that an unknown male was washed away by the Buffelsriver current and is still missing.
Since 2015, farmers in the Tankwa Karoo area have been struggling with the department to repair and upgrade the condition of roads and bridges that are especially dangerous in winter. After almost a decade, the Department of Roads and Public Works has yet to upgrade the conditions of the entire road and the bridge.
The Department of Roads and Public Works appointed the Iceberg Trading contractors to rehabilitate 17 km’s of the 42 km Rodewerf road near Middeldrift and Sutherland. According to the roads engineer at the department, a site visit is yet to be determined but due to terrible road conditions and heavy rains, the department cannot determine a set date. A few weeks ago, the department also dumped 600 mm stormwater pipes at the bridge, with no indication of when maintenance would start. This was despite farmers warning that the pipes were not an effective solution to prevent flooding caused by heavy rainfall and that they should be replaced with box culverts instead. Some pipes washed away with the floods while an official has falsely claimed that the pipes were subsequently removed.
The DA is concerned that farmers and their families cannot access schools, workplaces and amenities in surrounding towns due to the condition of the bridge. The department needs to urgently prioritise the rehabilitation of this bridge to avoid further disruptions and casualties.
Since the first incident occurred, I engaged with district officials and the Chief Director for Roads in the provincial department. I have also submitted an urgent letter to the MEC, Fufe Makatong and HOD, Johnny Mac Kay, requesting that an advisory engineer is speedily appointed to assess the condition of the bridge and recommend redress so that this bridge is upgraded without further delay.
The department’s ongoing failure to tend to low water bridges must not be allowed to continue negatively affecting the farming community in the province.