KZN education crisis: Severe weather cuts off access to schools in Jozini

Pupils in Jozini, northern KwaZulu-Natal, will be unable to access local schools following severe weather conditions that have devastated parts of the province.

Heavy downpours have resulted in widespread flooding across the region, with public infrastructure bearing the brunt of the damage. The KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, visited the affected areas earlier today to assess the impact.

“All the children in this village can no longer access the local school, Nethezeka, because cars and public transport cannot come through due to the extent of the damaged roads,” Buthelezi stated.

While the total financial cost of the destruction is yet to be finalised, the MEC noted that the immediate priority is addressing the isolation of these communities.

“The extent of the damage here in uMkhanyakude, uMhlabuyalingana, and Jozini is still being assessed, but we can say for ourselves right now that the community has been totally cut off,” he added.