By Akani Nkuna
Limpopo’s department of education has told parents, teachers and schools in the flood-hit Vhembe and Mopani districts not to reopen schools on Wednesday, warning that heavy rains have created dangerous conditions and disrupted key services, including school meals and scholar transport.
The department said the rains and flooding had affected the delivery of food to schools and added that scholar transport vehicles could also face difficulties.
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“The Department wishes to inform parents, guardians and teachers in the affected two districts to take caution and not reopen schools [on Wednesday]. This is to ensure the safety of learners and educators within the affected areas,” the department said.
“The department will advise when it is suitable for schooling to resume in the affected areas.”
The warning came after heavy rains caused major disruptions across the two districts, with videos shared on social media showing water flowing above bridges and the destruction of gravel roads, leaving villagers stranded and unable to travel to the nearest towns.
The South African Weather Service has issued a level 9 warning for Wednesday, which the department said meant heavy rains were expected to persist into the weekend.
Citing heightened risks to younger children, especially those in the early grades, the department said it would closely monitor the situation and dispatch a disaster management team.
A concerned parent, Nsovo Ndlovu from Ngove outside Giyani, told Inside Education she was worried about the continuing downpours, saying they had dampened her young boy’s excitement about returning to school.
He could not travel because of damaged roads and flooding, said Ndlovu.
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Working in Giyani town as a hairdresser, Ndlovu said she had suffered significant income losses because she was unable to travel to work, and feared the ongoing rainfall would leave her financially stretched for the rest of January.
“It is quite sad, the timing of this rain is off. This week with many people going back to work and students back to school, hairdressers stood to make a substantial income, but we have missed on all that because of this rain,” she said.
“A lot of preparations had gone into making sure that the reopening of schools was special for my son, with a new uniform for a new grade. He was going to rekindle with friends he last saw last year, but now he has to wait a much longer. He is also disappointed. But hopefully this rain stops soon and our lives back to normal.”
INSIDE EDUCATION
