On 27 January 2010, construction will begin on a R15 million bridge and access road that will give residents of the Mlungisi township easy access to the area's economic centre Stutterheim. The Manderson is very excited with this development after being involved with the project from it's conception.

Residents of the Mlungisi Township have had to travel four kilometers on treacherous roads or walk two kilometers through a steep, slippery valley which has become a hive of criminal activity to reach Stutterheim. This design is by no means an accident. Town planners in the Apartheid era purposefully tried to keep communities apart by separating them physically.

This project was spear-headed by a group of Stutterheim locals including the Manderson. It was initially envisioned that the building of the bridge would coincide with the 150th anniversary of Stutterheim. At this point a pedestrian bridge was designed. The project was upgraded to accommodate motorists at which point Aspire lobbied the National Treasury for funds.

To maximise community benefit, the bridge will be built in an arched design built using bricks as this is the most labour-intensive method available. This project will form part of a larger Stutterheim revitalisation project. It is set to include the development of a commercial community park in Mlungisi which will incorporate a library, amphitheatre and space for formal and informal business activities.

This initiative is set to save the community of Mlungisi 3 million rand a year on transport costs.

The Manderson is thrilled with this development. And Mike and Ingrid have been asked by Saskia Haart of Aspire to officially open the bridge on its completion because of their tireless work in getting the project up and running.