By Sifelani Murambiwa.
Chilonga. (News Of The South) – The Zanu PF Government’s continued failure to construct a higher bridge at Chilonga for 34 years is likely to see a yearly increase in tragic life loss every rainy season.
The bridge which is famously known as the ‘Killer bridge’ is terrorizing villagers every year placing their lives on the wire way before tears of relatives and friends lost in previous years dry.
Despite being perennial Zanu PF seats Chiredzi East and South villagers have to endure an approximately 300km to reach Chiredzi via the Rutenga-Ngundu route which is very costly compared to 23km incurred if using Chilonga Bridge.
In an interview with villagers say the are left with no option than to pay and cross using ‘pirate’ home-made boats to get to the other shore.
“Chiredzi is our only service center. Some of us we must collect our ARVs from the general hospital because thats were I registered and I am forced to pay a dollar to be transported by these boats to the other end because I cannot afford using the Rutenga Route,” said one villager who declined to be named.
Director of Gaza Trust, a community based non profit organization in Chiredzi Herbet Pikeka said they continue to count the yearly loss of life due to the poor state of Chilonga Bridge.
Pikela said the bridge has become a thorn in the flesh for the Shangani community as it continue to swallow lives at an unprecedented rate with no meaningful action taken.
” Our tears never dry because of Chilonga Bridge. Remember the the Vhongoma incident where two passengers died when his boat capsized, Tariro Mumanyi and his wife perished. The Tunhira family lost another relative because of bridges state.Misheck Mabunda fell in the river with his Mazda B16 and he died.The Tiyani incident of 2012 killed four people one from the tractor and three from the kombi he was towing and all these are a sample of how deadly the bridge has become,” said Pikela.
Pikela said plans are on higher levels to launch the Chilonga Trust Fund to try raise money towards rehabilitating the bridge which require more than $4 million.
Sadly companies like Malilangwe Conservation Trust in 2010 reportedly availed funds for the rehabilitation of the bridge but the cement was converted to personal use by a committe which was headed by former Masvingo Province Governer Titus Maluleke.
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