logo
Eight bodies recovered from school bus swept away by Mthatha floods

Eight bodies recovered from school bus swept away by Mthatha floods

The Herald12-06-2025

At least eight bodies have been recovered after a school bus was swept away by floods near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, officials said on Wednesday.
South Africa has been lashed by heavy rain and snow since the weekend, in a severe winter cold front which disrupted transport and power networks.
'It is a sad thing and the search is still going on,' Eastern Cape community safety official Xolile Nqatha told Newzroom Afrika.
Three children were rescued from the bus, President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said.
'President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents,' a statement said.
Flooding has become more common and severe in South Africa as the impacts of climate change are felt.
A storm on the east coast in April 2022 killed about 400 people and left thousands homeless.
Reuters

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cold, wet weather alert for the Cape: safety checklist in case of floods
Cold, wet weather alert for the Cape: safety checklist in case of floods

The Herald

time2 days ago

  • The Herald

Cold, wet weather alert for the Cape: safety checklist in case of floods

Authorities have shared a winter safety checklist on how to respond to flooding as the Western and Northern Cape brace for several days of cold and wet weather. 'Very cold conditions with daytime temperatures of 10°C and below are expected in places over the interior of the Western Cape and the Namakwa district {Northern Cape] from Wednesday to Saturday,' the SA Weather Service (Saws) said on Wednesday. 'The provincial disaster management centre co-ordinates and supports the district disaster centres and each local municipality in the province knows what is expected during the winter months to keep people safe,' said Western Cape local government, environmental affairs and development planning MEC Anton Bredell. 'Several days of cold and wet weather is predicted for the remainder of this week as well as next week and our disaster and emergency services will monitor this closely.' Bredell cited the recent drowning of a young woman while trying to cross a low-level water bridge in Slanghoek near Rawsonville, saying it was important to share safety precautions for inclement weather. The provincial disaster management centre said residents should prepare a household emergency plan on what to do in case of a flood and assemble a 'grab-and-go kit' containing: important documents such as IDs, passports, birth certificates, policies and clinic cards; cellphone recharger; essential medication and copies of prescriptions; credit cards and money; first aid kit; and make sure water can drain away from homes and check roofs for leaks. During heavy rain: pay attention to warnings. Listen to the radio or check reputable social media such as Saws or municipality for updates; store a supply of drinking water; if you live in a flood-prone area or are camping in a low-lying area, get to higher ground immediately; if told to evacuate by authorities, do so immediately. Lock your home when you leave. If you have time, disconnect utilities and appliances; avoid areas, roads and passes that are subject to sudden flooding; avoid damaged live electrical infrastructure; do not attempt to walk or drive over a flooded road. Even 15cm of fast-moving floodwater can knock you off your feet and a depth of two feet is enough to float a car. Never try to walk, swim or drive through swift running water; and avoid contact with flood water as it can be mixed with sewerage, oil, fuel or dangerous chemicals. Prevent children from playing in and near flood water. TimesLIVE

Thembi Simelane to visit Eastern Cape after deadly storm claims 90 lives
Thembi Simelane to visit Eastern Cape after deadly storm claims 90 lives

IOL News

time4 days ago

  • IOL News

Thembi Simelane to visit Eastern Cape after deadly storm claims 90 lives

Officials with a body retrieved from a dam in the Eastern Cape Image: Gift of the Givers Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, is expected to embark on a three-day visit to storm-stricken Eastern Cape, as the death toll from last week's deadly rains has climbed to 90. The department said nearly 3,000 households have been affected, with over 1,000 homes or structures destroyed and more than 600 partially destroyed. Provincial Department of Health confirmed that post-mortems have been completed on more than 80 bodies, with families having positively identified their loved ones. Premier Oscar Mabuyane further announced that Mthatha, the area hardest hit, has been declared a disaster area. President Cyril Ramaphosa with senior officials and the Gift of the Givers during an oversight visit in the EC Image: GCIS Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Simelane is set to meet with provincial and municipal leadership to decide on the next course of action to assist flood victims. Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted an inspection on loco at the Efata Bridge in Mthata where a bus scholar transport was tragically swept away due to the flooding. Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the loss of lives and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents at large. IOL

Time running out for climate-proofing the basic education sector
Time running out for climate-proofing the basic education sector

Daily Maverick

time4 days ago

  • Daily Maverick

Time running out for climate-proofing the basic education sector

During the past week, extreme weather events wreaked havoc across South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Heavy rainfall, strong winds and landslides caused a tragic loss of lives and widespread destruction to infrastructure. Among the most heartbreaking losses are the lives of schoolchildren. Schools that are meant to prepare learners for a brighter future have also been destroyed. These devastating events have again highlighted the urgency with which we must climate-proof South Africa's education system. Following his visit to the Eastern Cape, days after the disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa attributed the inclement weather to global warming: 'This is a catastrophic disaster for us, which is caused by climate change,' he said. International climate change expert bodies have already sounded the alarm bells on the impacts of climate change on South Africa. In its last report, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected, with high confidence, that extreme rainfall and flooding would become more frequent and intense in southern Africa. It is therefore imperative that our systems are urgently adapted to this new and perilous reality. Eastern Cape provincial government officials confirmed the deaths of four learners whose scholar transport minibus was swept away by floodwaters, with four of their schoolmates still missing. In KwaZulu-Natal, the provincial government also reported that four learners were injured and rushed to hospitals after the roof of their classroom was torn off by gale-force winds. Reports from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga reported a combined number of 168 schools that had been damaged, disrupting the education of thousands of learners. What makes this disaster even more disruptive for learners is the fact that it coincides with mid-year examinations. This is not an isolated event. Three years ago, in April 2022, floods in KwaZulu-Natal damaged 356 schools, with repair costs estimated at more than R235-million. The cumulative impact of climate change and extreme-weather events on basic education is severe and growing. Climate change demands a whole-of-government response to protect learners and the education system. A comprehensive plan to manage and adapt to climate change impacts on the education sector is long overdue. The Climate Change Act, assented to by President Ramaphosa in July 2024, provides the legal framework for such a plan. However, it is yet to be fully operationalised. Among its comprehensive climate change governance provisions, the Act requires several sectors, including the education sector, to develop a 'sector adaptation strategy and plan'. This includes an assessment of the risks and vulnerabilities of the education sector due to climate change and the formulation and implementation of adaptation measures to mitigate against the identified risks and vulnerabilities. These measures should include the development and institutionalisation of early-warning systems and standard protocols for school closures to avoid the death or injury of learners travelling to and from school or while on school premises. The infrastructure of schools located in areas prone to gale-force winds and flooding could be made climate-resilient through the use of materials and building designs tailored for climate and disaster resilience. Another measure that could possibly form part of the strategy and plan could be emergency response training for school staff and scholar transport operators. In addition to domestic legal obligations, South Africa is also guided by its obligations under international human rights law. General Comment No. 26 (GC26) from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child offers critical guidance to states such as South Africa on what their obligations are in relation to protecting children's rights and the environment in the face of climate change. South Africa would do well to heed the guidance provided by GC26 in the development of its basic education adaptation strategy and plan. GC26 stresses the importance of ensuring that school infrastructure is appropriately renovated and climate-resilient. This should be addressed through the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure, which set out the minimum requirements for all public school infrastructure. However, they disappointingly fail to take cognisance of the impact of climate change-induced extreme weather events. GC26 further calls for educational continuity during and after extreme weather events. Where access to school premises is curtailed, GC26 calls for educational continuity through alternative methods such as the provision of mobile educational facilities and remote learning. This provision is particularly important because, as the Covid-19 pandemic revealed, the education system is weak at facilitating remote learning, affecting learners from poorer communities who suffer from learning losses the most. Last, GC26 stresses that long-term school disruptions such as the use of school facilities for emergency housing should be avoided where possible. While the Climate Change Act was passed into law almost a year ago, the President has been tardy in bringing into operation the provisions of the Act requiring the Department of Basic Education to formulate a sectoral adaptation strategy and plan. On 17 March 2025, the President proclaimed the commencement of the operation of a portion of the Act, with some key provisions excluded. The provisions not yet in operation include those relating to the Presidential Climate Commission, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and importantly, the climate adaptation planning obligations of local, provincial and national governments, including the education sector. The President's delay in bringing the sections related to adaptation planning into operation is unfortunate as it leaves the education sector vulnerable and unprepared, as we have just experienced, with tragic consequences. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment says the reason these provisions are not yet in operation is that the department is in the process of developing regulations for their implementation. However, as we have seen, we do not have the luxury of time. The South African Constitution safeguards several rights which are directly affected by climate change and its impacts. These include the immediately realisable right to a basic education, the right to a healthy environment which is protected for the benefit of both current and future generations, and the best interests of the child principle, which requires that children's best interests are treated as paramount. These rights, with South Africa's international law obligations, require that the President acts with the necessary urgency to ensure climate adaptation in the education sector. While the heavy rains and flooding may have subsided for now, there is scientific consensus that these extreme weather patterns are here to stay and will return – and with greater severity. South Africa simply cannot afford further delays. Climate-proofing the education system must be a national priority. The President and all of government must act with urgency to ensure that schools and learners are better prepared for the storms that lie ahead. DM

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store