The senator for Beit Bridge, Mrs Tambudzani Mohadi, has called for urgent efforts to fix roads and bridges recently damaged by floods.

Mohadi told Limpopo Mirror that the affected communities were no longer able to access key services because of the damaged road infrastructure.  She said the link between Tshikwalakwala and the neighbouring Chiredzi communities, for instance, was cut after the bridge that joins the two places was swept away by floods. “That is a very busy road, but since it was damaged by the rains, there has been reduced movement. We appeal to developing partners to chip in and help us rehabilitate this bridge,” said Mohadi. “Other roads in the district were also damaged. This has affected the availability of key services such as transport and business.”

The Beit Bridge district administrator, Mr Simon Muleya, said: " We want that road to be rehabilitated as soon as possible as its destruction is affecting the communities. Villagers in Tshikwalakwala, for instance, are unable to access grinding mills on the other side of the river. The disruption of the communication network is also affecting administrative links. Officials from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration came here and assessed the situation and we hope they will assist,” said Muleya. He said the government was still offering assistance to homeless families whose homesteads were destroyed by the recent floods.

The local chief medical director, Dr William Busumani, said the damaged road network was hindering the provision of health services to remote communities. He said the health department was on high alert to prevent an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera, especially in communities that were affected by the floods. “The problem is that it is difficult to reach some communities because of the damaged road network,” said Busumani.

The majority of the roads in the district were left virtually impassable after the heavy storms, which had also damaged bridges.