MAYIWANE – A new 48-metre suspension footbridge is set to be built across the Lugongodlane River, bringing long-awaited relief to the Emfasi and Buhleni communities in the Hhohho region. The Hlanganani Suspension Bridge, officially launched by Engineers in Action (EIA) in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development’s Microprojects Programme, will directly serve over 3,000 people, including 2,100 school children.
The bridge, scheduled to begin construction on Monday, June 9, is expected to be completed and inaugurated by August 8 this year. Once finished, it will replace the dangerous seasonal crossings that have plagued the community for years. During the rainy season, the river often becomes impassable for up to a week, and in the past three years alone, four people have drowned and five others injured attempting to cross the swollen waters. The only alternative route is a 10-kilometre detour, further isolating residents from basic services.
This marks the 33rd footbridge developed through the EIA-Microprojects partnership and is the fifth to feature the advanced suspension design first introduced to Eswatini in 2023. It is also the first in the country to be constructed entirely by visiting university students as part of EIA’s expanded skill-transfer initiative.
Students and faculty from Cornell University and the University of Southern Indiana in the United States, alongside University College London in the UK, will work with local engineers and community members. Their efforts are backed by the Tebe-Tebe programme, which supports eight bridge projects earmarked for completion in 2025. This collaborative model aims to accelerate infrastructure development while building engineering capacity locally.
Siboniso Simelane, EIA’s Senior Technical Project Officer, noted that some of the local bridge builders were trained on-site in Rwanda in 2023. Since then, four suspension bridges have already been delivered in Eswatini, with Hlanganani now marking the fifth.
Local leaders from Mayiwane Inkhundla and surrounding umphakatsi have pledged support for the project, which relies heavily on community involvement.
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