Dalphine Tagwireyi
Cyclone Eloise has caused havoc in many parts of the country – and Mbombela in Mpumalanga has not escaped the punishment.
Residents from Tekwane South and eNtokozweni say they called on the City of Mbombela to repair a sinkhole in the D2296 because they feared the bridge would collapse.
Now the collapse of the bridge has caused major disruptions and traders from Mozambique are virtually isolated from their South Africa customers.
The provincial Department of Community Safety has advised motorists to avoid using the route.
Ermani Ricardo from Inhambane, Mozambique told Scrolla.Africa he is stuck in South Africa because he doesn’t have money to reroute to get back to his country.
“I deliver orders for my clients in South Africa every week but I could lose a lot of customers if I increased my prices if I had to take longer routes,” he said.
“This would cut my turnover and my business will come to a standstill.”
Residents near dams have been the worst affected, as the torrential rains have led to the overflow of dams.
Eight people are feared dead and five are reported missing.
The Safety Security and Liaison Department called on motorists to be vigilant as several roads and bridges have been badly damaged and traffic has been heavily congested due to the closure of main roads.
Picture source: Twitter
