Heavy rainfall in the Bakenberg area outside Mokopane has triggered flooding that destroyed three low-lying bridges, isolating several rural communities and halting access to essential services.
The low-line bridge at Kgalakwena village collapsed after recent downpours caused local rivers to swell rapidly. On a single stretch of road linking seven villages, three bridges were completely swept away, according to residents and on-site observations.
Communities in Kgalakwena, Jakkalaskuil and Wydhoek are now cut off, unable to reach clinics, schools or other basic services. Residents described being stranded with no means of travel.
“We are so sad because there is no life here. We are stuck,” one resident said. “The clinic is next to us, 5 km away from here. We can’t go to the clinic. Children can’t go to school.”
The disruption has had an immediate impact on education. Learners from Grade 8 to Grade 11 were scheduled to write mathematics exams on Monday but were unable to do so because both pupils and teachers were trapped by the floodwaters.
Access to healthcare has also been severed. Sick residents cannot reach medical facilities, and families are unable to conduct burials.
The affected bridge and road had previously been damaged by floods in 2024.
Plans for relief infrastructure have been derailed. Construction of a small alternative road was due to begin in the village, and residents had been awaiting the arrival of teams to build an alternative bridge. Those efforts are now impossible.
“Now we were waiting for them to build the alternative. The alternative where we are supposed to build it, we will never build it again,” a resident explained. “As you can see, the river is wide open. So we can’t do anything. Our people now are stuck. There’s no school. There’s no whatever.”
Community members expressed concern as weather forecasts predict further rainfall in the coming days, raising fears of additional damage and prolonged isolation.
The flooding forms part of broader heavy rain impacts reported across parts of Limpopo in recent weeks, damaging infrastructure in multiple districts. No injuries or fatalities have been reported in the Bakenberg area from this specific incident.