The Ntabankulu Local Municipality (NLM) in conjunction with Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development allocated the sum of R51 million to commence with construction of a bridge in Dikidikini locality, following years of suffering when they were crossing Umzintlava River.
For some years the people from seven villages were crossing this river using big drums to cross the river. During the rainy season, they were compelled to stay at homes as the river became full and more dangerous. The funerals were sometimes unintentionally postponed as the corpses were unable to cross the river.
Many lives were lost in the past years in this river. The Ntabankulu Mayor Cllr Tsileng Sobuthongo officially handed over the project. She revealed that interim measures are in place to ensure that as the works are underway the people of Dikidikini have access to conventional ways of crossing the river.
Sobuthongo refuted the social media claims that Ntabankulu municipality hired more drums to help the people to cross the river. She described them as false, misled the public and caused unnecessary confusion.
