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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau

The construction of one of the two Bailey bridges over Rusitu and Nyahode rivers in Chimanimani is now complete enabling villagers in surrounding areas who have been cut off from most activities since March to start trading with other parts of the province.

Rusitu Valley is renowned for its horticulture produce and other crops and hundreds of traders travel to the area to buy produce for resale in Mutare, Chipinge, Chiredzi, Zvishavane and some even as far afield as Bulawayo.

Due to the extensive damage inflicted on bridges and roads when flooding occurred at the confluence of Nyahode and Rusitu and Chipita rivers, villages like Muchadziya, Vimba, Hlabiso, Mutsvangwa and Ndiadzo have remained mostly inaccessible by vehicles even after makeshift bridges were constructed.

The South African Nation Defence Forces (SANDF) in August deployed a contingent of soldiers to construct the two Bailey bridges.

Construction of the second bridge over Nyahode River is expected to be completed by December.

The villagers who spoke to The Herald expressed joy at the completion of the Bailey bridge over Rusitu River, which they said would make their lives easier.

Ndiadzo village head Mr Dudzai Ndiadzo expressed his gratitude to the army for bringing back hope to the communities affected by the cyclone.

“I am very happy to see the bridge at Rusitu River finally complete even if it has not been officially opened yet. Before the disaster, this bridge used to help us to carry our bananas and other fruits to the markets and when the cyclone came it washed away the bridge. It used to be the link to other areas and it would connect the people with all service centres,” he said.

“With the coming in of the army, we have been given back our hope. We look forward to seeing people’s lives returning to normal. We are slowly healing, both physically and psychologically. And such developments show us that our communities will eventually become whole,” he said.

A villager, Mr Thomas Mangiza, said: “We are grateful for the efforts put here by the army officials from South Africa and the Zimbabwe National Army working with them. When we look at this bridge, we see it as a blessing. We are farmers, we survive by selling our crops but that has been difficult since the cyclone hit us.

“We could not transport the bananas, pineapples and avocados that were not destroyed by the cyclone. Some of the produce has been rotting in the fields because there is nowhere to take them. This bridge will give us back our livelihoods.”

Ms Maria Magaraba said the bridge would make it easy for them to access Ngorima Clinic, which was across the river.

“Since the cyclone, we have not been able to use vehicles to visit the clinic. We have had to walk. But now that the bridge is complete, our sick can be transported easily,” she said.

Another concern for the villagers has been the safety of their children who had to cross the makeshift bridge to access their schools daily.

Parents feared that their children would not be safe once the rains started as the bridge could easily be swept away again.

Mr Wonder Mahlupheka of Ndiadzo village in Ward 9 said the bridge would help to ensure that aid continues to reach all areas which would have been cut off again once the rains started.

Businesses across the river had also been affected as they could not easily access service centres to buy stock.

Ms Charlene Meki, a small business owner in Ndiadzo, said the completion of the bridge would reduce her costs significantly.

“Since the bridge was swept away, we could not go to Kopa to get our stock for the shop, so it had become expensive to go to Chipinge using alternative routes. But if we can now use the bridge, we will bring in our stuff at very little cost,” she said.