The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille hands, presided over the handing over of the Mona rural bridges in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal.
Speaking during the event, she thanked MEC Nkonyeni and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Transport for recognising the need for this project and availing the necessary funding and for their commitment to investing in infrastructure.
According to her, this project is demonstrating how through the Infrastructure Investment Plan, all three spheres of government are working together to get the job done and provide the community with what they need and are entitled to.
De Lille also applauded the community for their patience and everyone from all involved departments for ensuring that the project was completed despite the pandemic.
“It is very exciting for us to be visiting the KwaZulu Natal Province again to handover more bridges after our visit and handover of other bridges in Ekhamanzi in March this year.
This is the beauty of this important project that these life-saving bridges can be installed in a matter of weeks or months and do not take years to install.
Even through these bridges do not take long to install, we know that the communities who need these bridges have waited years for this infrastructure so that you can get to work, school, clinics and other social enmities safely,” she stated.
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According to her, infrastructure is about giving people a better life and access to opportunities; and as with the case of these bridges, infrastructure is about reversing the legacy of apartheid pass by giving people access and dignity.
“Infrastructure is about improving the socio-economic conditions in our communities and eliminating barriers for our people to get where they need to get safely so that they can succeed and make a meaningful contribution to our country.”
The Infrastructure Investment Plan is about achieving spatial and economic justice by connecting the people, integrating the communities and bringing people closer to work opportunities.
The Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme was aimed at providing safe access to social amenities and further respond to potential disaster areas and emergency disaster situations; and ensure that community members especially school children can have safe passage to amenities such as schools and clinics and prevents devastating drownings which often take place in rural areas without proper infrastructure.
Read her full speech here
