The communities along the Sengwe Corridor outside Beit Bridge have called on the authorities to repair the damaged Bubi River bridge urgently, saying it has impacted negatively on tourism activities around the area.

The bridge, which was recently destroyed by floods, links the communities of Tshikwalakwala, Tshipise and Tshitulipasi in Beit Bridge and Sengwe and Malipati villages in the neighbouring Chiredzi district. The areas fall under the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a vast tract of safari land straddling the borders of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The transfrontier conversation area joins some of the most established wildlife areas in Southern Africa into a huge conservation area of 35 000 square km.

The local councillor, Mr Enock Ndou, said it was no longer possible for tourists to visit some of the tourist attractions along the Sengwe Corridor in the district. “We are appealing to the authorities and partners to assist by rehabilitating the infrastructure that was destroyed by the floods. The bridge linking our area and the Chiredzi district has been washed away and that has now created problems for us because tourists can no longer access our side, where we have the Tshipise hot springs, great wildlife and rich cultural tourism,” he said.

Ndou, who is also a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Management committee of the Beit Bridge Rural District Council, urged the government and NGOs to complement each other in addressing the plight of villagers in Tshikwalakwala whose homes were swept away by floods " by teaming up and assisting the villagers with food and decent shelter.”

Officials from the local road agency recently visited the area and assessed the situation, but nothing has been done so far to address the problem. Tshikwalakwala and the surrounding villages are situated in low-lying areas, making them prone to floods during the rainy season.

During 2000's Cyclone Eline-induced rains, the area was also among the worst affected in Beit Bridge District. The damaged road network is also hindering the provision of health services to remote communities and the health department is on high alert to prevent an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera in communities that were affected worst by the floods.