Historic Upington Bridge Gets New Life After Community and AfriForum Restore 111-Year-Old Structure

• The community in Upington joined forces with AfriForum to restore a railway bridge built in 1915 after years of neglect
• Dozens of volunteers, workers and painters took just over a week to bring the historic landmark in Upington back to life
• Werner Strauss, AfriForum's District Coordinator for the Northern Cape, noted the importance of restoring the landmark

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online

NORTHERN CAPE - A 111-year-old railway bridge in Upington has been given a new lease on life after the community, along with AfriForum, took matters into their own hands.

With the local municipality failing to maintain key infrastructure, the community rallied together to restore the Schröder Street bridge, one of the Northern Cape town's most recognisable landmarks.

Read also

Tragic shack fire claims lives of twin boys in Ikageng as parents are hospitalised

The Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality has struggled with widespread service delivery failures, which have left the 1915-built railway bridge dilapidated and increasingly dangerous, particularly for truck drivers who regularly collide with the low-lying structure, causing traffic disruptions and costly damage.

Nine days to restore a century-old landmark

The restoration project, which ran from 25 June to 3 July 2026, brought together AfriForum's Upington branch, Sheriff Security Upington, Oranje Mica Upington and Walker Midas Upington.

Dozens of volunteers, workers and painters gave their time and skills to the effort, as a total of 70 litres of paint, in yellow and red, were used to repaint the bridge's distinctive stripes.

The clean-up went beyond painting. A tractor and road grader cleared accumulated soil and debris from the surrounding area, while two large skips were filled with household waste and litter that had built up over the years.

Werner Strauss, AfriForum's District Coordinator for the Northern Cape, said the fresh coat of paint directly addresses one of the bridge's most persistent problems. Better visibility means road users are more aware of the height restriction, reducing the risk of vehicle collisions.

"Despite opposition from the local municipality, this project was successfully completed," Strauss said.

Read also

KZN man saves 3-year-old boy from drowning with heroic act in Salt Rock

"AfriForum would like to thank everyone involved, including every volunteer, worker, donor and supporter who helped ensure that this refurbishment project was completed," he said.

A model for community-driven restoration

Strauss added that the project demonstrated what communities could achieve when organisations, businesses and residents worked together.

"Together, we can preserve Upington's history for future generations," he said.

The bridge, which has served the South African railway network for more than a century, is once again a clearly visible and well-maintained fixture in the town.

South Africans criticise government’s call to celebrate Mandela Month

In a related article, the South African government called on citizens to dedicate their time and efforts this Mandela Month.

South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the government's appeal, with many questioning why they were being asked to fix problems.

Briefly News reported that some noted that AfriForum was fixing potholes and helping communities, while the government wasn't.

Source: Briefly News