{"id":86598,"date":"2026-04-13T10:34:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community"},"modified":"2026-04-13T11:05:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T11:05:42","slug":"mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community","title":{"rendered":"Mholoweni Footbridge Enhances Safety for Ebulekeni Community"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Eswatini. <\/strong><\/span><b>Government has strengthened rural connectivity and community safety with the official unveiling of the Mholongweni Youth Suspension Footbridge at Ebulekeni under Zombodze Emuva Inkhundla, a project implemented through the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development\u2019s Microprojects Programme in partnership with Engineers in Action.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The bridge was unveiled by Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko, alongside community leaders and residents, marking a major step in improving access across a once-dangerous river crossing.<\/p>\n<p>The newly constructed footbridge is expected to ease daily movement for learners, workers, and families who previously risked their lives navigating the river, especially during the rainy season. The project responds directly to long-standing community challenges, where unsafe crossings disrupted access to schools, health services, and economic opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking during the ceremony, Zombodze Emuva Member of Parliament Hon. Ntando Mkhonta commended the collaboration behind the initiative, stating, \u201cWe thank Microprojects and Engineers in Action for delivering a life-changing project for our people. We also appreciate His Majesty King Mswati III for fostering partnerships with international stakeholders who continue to support national development.\u201d He added that efforts would continue to push for a vehicle bridge to further enhance accessibility.<\/p>\n<p>The bridge carries deep emotional significance for the community, as it is named after Youth Simelane, a resident who once nearly lost her life attempting to cross the river. Community member Khetho Dlamini reflected on the painful memories, saying, \u201cWe nearly lost her while crossing this river, and even during her burial in 2024, it was extremely difficult to carry her coffin across.<\/p>\n<p>That moment showed us how urgent the need for a safe bridge was.\u201d she added, \u201cNaming this bridge after her is a way of honouring her life and ensuring that no family will have to go through what we experienced.\u201d The naming of the bridge stands as a tribute to her story and a symbol of the community\u2019s resilience.<\/p>\n<p>In a show of appreciation, the community presented a goat to Maseko, symbolising gratitude for government\u2019s commitment to improving rural livelihoods. The Minister acknowledged the gesture and reaffirmed government\u2019s focus on inclusive development, particularly in underserved areas.<\/p>\n<p>The Mholongweni Youth Suspension Footbridge stands as a testament to the power of collaboration between government, development partners, and local communities in addressing infrastructure gaps and driving sustainable rural development.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Eswatini<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Eswatini. Government has strengthened rural connectivity and community safety with the official unveiling of the Mholongweni Youth Suspension Footbridge at Ebulekeni under Zombodze Emuva Inkhundla, a project implemented through the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development\u2019s Microprojects Programme in partnership with Engineers in Action. The bridge was unveiled by Minister of Public Service [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":86597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[249],"class_list":["post-86598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-eswatini"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mholoweni Footbridge Enhances Safety for Ebulekeni Community - Eswatini<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Government has strengthened rural connectivity and community safety with the official unveiling of the Mholongweni Yo ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mholoweni Footbridge Enhances Safety for Ebulekeni Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Government has strengthened rural connectivity and community safety with the official unveiling of the Mholongweni Yo ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Eswatini\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-13T10:34:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-13T11:05:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/sites\/33\/2026\/04\/sm_1776065464.174518.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Mholoweni Footbridge Enhances Safety for Ebulekeni Community\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-13T10:34:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-13T11:05:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community\"},\"wordCount\":400,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/sites\/33\/2026\/04\/sm_1776065464.174518.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Eswatini\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/mholoweni-footbridge-enhances-safety-for-ebulekeni-community\",\"name\":\"Mholoweni Footbridge Enhances Safety for Ebulekeni Community - 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