Africa-Press – Eswatini. It’s boots on the ground and hearts in the work zone as construction officially kicks off on the Hlanganani Suspension Bridge, a vital footbridge set to connect the communities of Emfasi and Buhleni across the often treacherous Lugongodlane River.
Just days after Friday’s vibrant launch event, Engineers in Action (EIA), alongside the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development’s Microprojects Programme, have wasted no time putting plans into motion.
Construction began in earnest on Monday, June 9, with the 48-metre footbridge set to rise over the river that has claimed lives, isolated families, and cut off schoolchildren and workers during the rainy season.
This is no ordinary bridge – it’s the fifth advanced suspension footbridge in Eswatini and the 33rd built under the longstanding EIA-Microprojects partnership.
The project is expected to directly benefit over 3,000 community members, including 2,100 school-going children. For years, they’ve had no option but to risk life and limb crossing the river, which swells and rages for up to seven days a year.
“In 2023, Engineers in Action sent local Emaswati to Rwanda to gain hands-on experience in building suspension bridges,” said EIA Senior Technical Project Officer Siboniso Simelane.
“Two years later, four bridges have already been completed, and today, we proudly launch Hlanganani, the fifth. The partnership between Engineers in Action and Microprojects is deeply rooted in uplifting communities and empowering local Emaswati with invaluable skills.”
The bridge is being constructed under EIA’s skill-transfer program, now featuring international student engineers from Cornell University, the University of Southern Indiana, and University College London.
Hlanganani becomes the first suspension bridge in Eswatini built by this new cohort of overseas learners, working hand in hand with local engineers and community volunteers.
The construction effort is also a chapter in the bigger picture: eight footbridges are planned for 2025 under the Tebe-Tebe initiative, a people-powered movement designed to keep Eswatini’s rural communities connected, safe and on the move, come rain or shine.
With foundations now being laid, towers going up and cables ready to stretch across the riverbanks, the people of Emfasi and Buhleni can already feel change in the air. No longer will a flooded river mean missed school days, medical emergencies, or market trips turned back in frustration.
More than concrete and steel, the Hlanganani Bridge represents a lifeline, a promise of dignity, access and safety.
If all goes according to plan, the community will celebrate the official opening of the bridge on August 8. Until then, hard hats on, spirits high, and a future firmly under construction.
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