Disillusioned residents of Mpophameni in the Emangweni area believe they don’t have much to celebrate this Freedom Day as they have to cross a crocodile and snake infested river on foot every day.
“What Freedom Day are you talking about? This is not freedom, when we risk our lives on a daily basis to cross a river which has crocodiles and huge snakes. People and even our children can be washed away,” said one of the residents to The Ladysmith Herald, when she stopped to take off her shoes as she and others prepared to cross the Indaka River. With many celebrating Freedom Day (27 April) which commemorates the first democratic vote in 1994, the Ward 30 community says 18 years after two soil-turning events done by two different MECs, nothing about the road and river crossing had changed. Recently an electrification project was placed on hold because the river level was too high and Eskom’s construction team told the community they would wait for the river levels to drop before attempting to cross,” said District Official IFP Councillor Bhehkowakhe Majola. Majola said that due to heavy rains in the Wasbank area, the river level at the crossing was at an all time high. “School children also use the crossing to get to school. With the water level rising and adding to the current, small children can easily be washed away.”
In 2019, The Ladysmith Herald reported that the Ward 30 community had built a crude walk-way made from rocks and sand bags to cross the river. The residents volunteered up to five hours of their time, filling bags of river sand and piling up rocks to make a shift structure that allowed a few vehicles and pedestrians to cross the area safely. “But with the heavy rains, the structure was washed away and now the residents just risk their lives in trying to cross.” Majola told The Ladysmith Herald that people had to walk to the upper Tugela to catch a taxi to head into town. “With the cost of living rising, taxis are also adding to their taxi fees, leaving people with less money to take care of their families.” Residents who don’t have sufficient money, get out of the taxis a distance away and then cross the river with their shopping bags. He said about two years ago two members of the community were washed away as they tried to cross the flooded river.
Majola said he had gone to various departments and municipalities asking about the promised bridge, but it seems that no one is willing to assist the people. “How can we celebrate Freedom Day, when these people face so many social issues,” said Majola. Residents are also peeved about other issues. They claim that they have to wait for up to two hours for emergency services to respond when they need help. “It can take up to two hours for help to get to us,” said Majola. The Alfred Duma Municipality had not responded at the time of going to press.
“The day the world changed for many South Africans…”
Acaciavale Primary School Grade 7 learners Jordan Gengan and Tehzeen Mahomed believe April 27 is the ‘day the world changed for many South Africans’. “We were taught that South Africans were given the right to vote for the first time and they watched a new era come into being,” said Jordan Gengan. Tehzeen Mahomed added that she and her fellow learners had learnt about Nelson Mandela and had come to love him as he had fought for the democratic rights of South Africans. “We have travelled a long, difficult road as a nation, but so much has been learnt,” said Mahomed. Both learners told The Ladysmith Herald, that things had changed a great deal since 1994 and more people were working towards a better life. “The only thing that is still alive is racism and that is what is keeping our South Africa from moving forward,” said Gengan. Both added that if people could look past racism and learn to love and respect one another, much could be achieved. “We can all take a page out of Nelson Mandela’s vision for South Africa.”
