Johannesburg: Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala announced that 11 of the 13 Welisizwe bridges planned for the Zululand District Municipality in KwaZulu Natal have been completed, with the remaining two bridges currently undergoing technical assessments. The announcement was made during the handover ceremony of two newly constructed Welisizwe bridges at the Ulundi Local Municipality.

According to South African Government News Agency, the Welisizwe programme in KwaZulu Natal is on track to meet its targets, with 41 out of 51 planned bridges already completed. The bridges are part of a broader government initiative to invest in rural infrastructure. Zikalala highlighted the employment opportunities created during the construction of the two bridges, noting that 161 jobs were generated, including 152 jobs through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), five artisan roles, two special workman trainees, and one clerical position.

During the 2023 budget vote, Zikalala announced a R3.8 billion allocation for the Welisizwe bridges programme, which aims to construct bridges across six provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and North West. The programme focuses on supporting localization, Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) development, job creation, and transformation in the construction sector by sourcing construction materials and bridge components locally.

In total, 288 Welisizwe bridges are targeted for construction across the six provinces, with 130 already completed and 48 currently under construction. Plans are underway, in collaboration with the Department of Transport, for the submission of the Phase Two application, which will include constructing additional rural bridges and expanding the programme to the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and Gauteng provinces.

The Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme aims to facilitate the daily lives of rural communities by providing safe and accessible routes to schools, workplaces, and other essential services. The initiative is part of the Strategic Integrated Project and supports the government's economic recovery programme. The project is managed by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the South African National Defence Force, and Provincial Transport Departments.