In just three years, Johannesburg’s shiny Nelson Mandela Bridge has gone from being a symbol of the city’s upliftment to a vandalised, shabby hangout for criminals.
”It’s no longer heavenly and the essence of it is no longer so. It’s sad,” said Penelope Motubatse, who uses the bridge almost every day.
While she has not been attacked, Motubatse said her flatmates and people from school have been. ”It’s worse now that the lights have gone. You get worried. When school knocks off at 6pm, then, oh my God, what do you do?” she asked. ”There are people hanging around here. They rob people here every day.”
Innocentia Kaye was walking across the bridge between 7pm and 8pm a week or so ago when six men attacked her, pulling out guns and demanding her cellphone and money.
When she told them she had none, they told her: ”Next time you must carry a cellphone, you bitch.”
The 284m bridge — the longest cable-stayed bridge in the country — used to be manned by at least two guards, one on either side.
There was one Central Johannesburg Partnership (CJP) guard posted at the nearby intersection of Carr and Ntemi Piliso streets on Tuesday. His duties did not include the bridge, he said.
He claimed the bridge guards’ contract had been terminated, but this was scotched by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). Operations manager Liam Clarke said the CJP is being paid to supply guards and is supposed to keep an eye on the infrastructure.
However, the bridge had been left vulnerable to vandals during the three-month security sector strike over wages, which ended on June 22.
Clarke said aluminium pieces stolen from the handrails on either side of the pedestrian walkway will cost R50 000 to fix. Smashed glass panels will cost R1 200 a pane to replace. The JRA is not responsible for repairing the stolen lights inside the handrails — that is the domain of City Power.
The bridge was opened on July 20 2003, the 85th birthday of former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela, and was seen as a ”worthy gift to posterity”.
”The community doesn’t seem to take pride in the facilities provided for them,” said Clarke. ”I don’t know how you overcome it so people take ownership of the facilities.
”What has happened on the Mandela bridge is a fraction of what has been stolen in terms of Johannesburg City infrastructure,” he said.
It is believed the aluminium and cabling has been taken to scrap-metal dealers who turn a blind eye to the material’s origins.
The bridge alone cost R56-million to build. It stretches from Braamfontein, across 42 railway lines, to the Newtown Cultural Precinct.
”I think they should bring the security back. When I see one standing here, I know I’ll see another one standing there. I think it’ll be safer if they come back,” said Thembi Vilakazi, who witnessed two smash-and-grabs on traffic lights near the bridge.
”It’s not so safe with them gone,” said Sam Mokhoanatsi.
”There has to be a [guard] house next to the bridge with security and cameras to monitor over videos,” suggested Harold Phasha. — Sapa