At least 11 schools damaged by weather in KZN's Alfred Duma Municipality - COGTA

JOHANNESBURG - At least 11 schools were damaged in the Alfred Duma Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) as a result of inclement weather.

The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department (COGTA) revealed that a water plant and several roads were also damaged in the province.

KZN, particularly Ladysmith, has been battered by heavy downpours since last year that have claimed at least 23 lives.   

COGTA Minister Thembi Nkadimeng was in the uThukela District Municipality on Friday to assess the extent of damages caused by torrential weather. 

“The design of the plant in its initial time was more at a low-lying level. When there is more water coming and the river is overflowing, obviously the system becomes incapacitated and all the flooding goes into town. In fact, it has almost washed away a portion of a road that joins Ladysmith and some other areas taking you into Newcastle.”

As the academic year officially started this week, some pupils in KwaZulu-Natal had to cut their first day of school short, owing to a severe weather warning. 

Nkadimeng said pupils in Ladysmith did not make it for their first day of school.

“As a result, the learners weren’t allowed to come to school on school opening day [Wednesday] but yesterday and today [Thursday and Friday] the situation is normalising. There are classes that already have started, and we are trying to salvage the issue.”