President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-hit families in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, including the Sokheles in Claremont, who lost four children when their house collapsed on them while their father watched helplessly.
The children are among at least 253 other people throughout the province who have died since the heavy rains started on Monday.
KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Kwazi Mshengu also confirmed on Wednesday that two learners were washed away while trying to cross a river in Msinga on Tuesday. Dozens other people are still missing.
Mshengu said: “So far, the reports indicate that there are only two learners who have been washed away when they were crossing a river from school in Msinga on Tuesday. One body has since been recovered and the search for the second body is still ongoing. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.”
The heavy rains have caused damage to property running into estimated millions of rands, including damage to infrastructure at about 104 schools in the province.
“We are expecting that number to rise because there are areas that are still inaccessible. We are also losing teaching and learning time, because on Tuesday over 500 schools didn’t open.
“The schools will not open at least until Tuesday next week, so that they allow us the time to make some sort of intervention in order for teaching and learning to resume.”
Mshengu said the Department of Basic Education has given a directive not to reopen schools that are in a bad state.
Meanwhile, non-profit organisations and Gift of the Givers have appealed to South Africans to help with donations, food items, and clothing.
Pictures of the natural disaster shared on social media:
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