The much-anticipated first Easter weekend after the lifting of the national state of disaster is upon believers.
With many planning to travel, the Department of Water and Sanitation has warned people to be cautious of large water bodies.
“During Easter holidays, people of different faiths traditionally go to rivers to perform their religious activities such as baptism among others. This practice has proven dangerous in most cases as the department has been alerted of incidences of drownings in the past,” department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ratau advised that the recent downpours in some parts of the country will make it even more dangerous for people to proceed with religious practices as water levels in certain rivers and dams continue to increase as the heavy rains persist through the weekend.
He said: “While we respect people’s religious beliefs, it is equally our responsibility as a government to alert everyone about the danger associated with baptism in raging rivers, particularly during this period.
“Being religious should not lead to the deaths of innocent people. The safety of everyone is our priority, therefore, we encourage everyone to find alternative ways of baptism to ensure safety.”
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has also cautioned that rain is expected to return to many provinces ahead of and during the Easter weekend.
“The public is therefore urged to continue to monitor forecasts and warnings issued by SAWS,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The warning came in the wake of a trail of destruction in KwaZulu-Natal following torrential rains that started on Monday. The inclement weather has resulted in damage to property and has claimed more than 200 lives.
The weather service said by Wednesday, the rainfall system would have weakened considerably, heralding a spell of a few days of settled dry weather.
“Furthermore, the public is urged and encouraged to regularly follow weather forecasts on television and radio,” it said.
Additional information from SAnews.gov.za
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