The Governor of Kavango East is irked by the state of the floating bridge at the Sarasungu Border Post. 

The bridge was initially only supposed to be a temporary measure, but it's been 11 years since it was attended to. 

 In 2014, the Namibian and Angolan governments decided to put up this temporary bridge to allow pedestrians and motorists to cross with ease. 

The bridge and the surrounding infrastructure were paid for by the Angolan government. 

The Control Administration Officer in the Governor's Office, Bonifatius Kahare, explains, "The Angolan government then took up that initiative to build the bridge that you see, the structure that you see on the Angolan side, the lights that you see, and even our offices where our officials are operating were all built by the Angolan government, including the road that links up to the tar road; it was built by the Angolan government."

It's been 11 years since the bridge was built, but there has been no maintenance from either Namibia or Angola.  

Some local tourism operators protested against the bridge, saying it will affect their boat cruise business because the bridge will prevent their boats from crossing. 

Waste has accumulated around the bridge over the years, making it difficult for search parties to retrieve the bodies of people who have drowned in the river. 

Locals also say the waste is creating a breeding ground for various diseases. 

Elizabeth Hilger is the owner of Tambuti Lodge.

"People cannot swim close to the floating bridge because it causes skin rashes. You don't even talk about the cholera that is happening here; it's a disaster. This is what we told them. Right now, the state that it is in, it is very dangerous to the livelihood of the community and even the ecosystem in the river; it's very dirty. The ministry of fisheries, ask them. A lot of fish died here; it is a disaster."

While inspecting the floating bridge, the Kavango East governor, Hamunyera Hambyuka, expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the bridge, saying a permanent solution needs to be found before disaster strikes. 

"My final recommendation is, can we have a proper bridge where the water and the waste – everything – pass underneath the bridge? It has to go back to the drawing board for the Ministry of Works to sit down and for them to come back and build a proper bridge for our people to be happy and for our people to walk freely, no fear, just for them to cross. That's what we are going to recommend, and that's what we are going to submit to the Ministry of Works."

The governor says a clean-up campaign is scheduled for January 2026 to remove the waste surrounding the floating bridge.