North West Schools Suspend Learning After Intense Rainfall Floods Schools and Roads

• Several schools stopped their lessons in the North West after the premises were flooded during the heavy rainfall that the province experienced
• Parts of the country experienced heavy rainfall since the beginning of the week and North West roads were also flooded
• Learners returned home as some schools' infrastructure, including ceilings, collapsed, and the government suspended schooling activities until next week

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years.

NORTH WEST — The North West Department of Education has suspended schooling until next week because of the intense rainfall that the province, alongside other provinces, experienced since 17 February 2025.

What is happening in the North West?

According to SABC News, the heavy rainfall the province is experiencing is the result of heavy rainfall in the country which other provinces experienced as well. Roads in the North West were flooded and blocked, preventing learners from travelling to school. In some districts, several schools incurred damage and learning was halted.

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Ceilings in a few classes at Signal Hill Primary School collapsed. Members of the School Governing Body said the school is in poor condition and has no proper toilets. The ceiling, they said, collapsed because of the state of disrepair the school is in. Lesedi Secondary School in Tswaing Local Municipality, whose mayor is on leave after a sexual video went viral, was also damaged by the rain. The Department of Education announced that schools would be suspended until next week.

What's been happening in the heavens?

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) on 17 February warned that parts of Gauteng and the North West would experience disruptive rainfall until 20 February. An Orange Level 5 warning was issued which affected not only the two provinces but parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga as well. Limpopo also experienced localised flooding brought on by the disruptive rain.

Recent flooding in South Africa

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• South Africa had a wet and stormy Christmas in 2024 when the South African Weather Service issued warnings for Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, which experienced flooding and heavy rainfall
• An Orange Level 5 weather warning was issued on 5 January for Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, which lasted until 8 January
• SAWS also issued a Level 2 Warning for KwaZulu-Natal on 15 January, where the disruptive rainfall caused localised flooding, making it difficult for motorists to take their children to school on the first week of the school year

South Africans weigh in

Netizens commenting on SABC News's Facebook page slammed the government for neglecting infrastructure in rural areas in the North West and other parts of the country.

Bokgwathile Jane Tshidi said:

"The government budget should be about priorities, focusing on repairing and upgrading collapsed school infrastructures."

Mphahlele Kups Ramothopo said:

"In 30 years the ANC government failed to service rural areas with proper roads and infrastructure."

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De Villiers Cooks said:

"The ANC can't keep existing infrastructure in place, can't build successful additions, can't provide basics to existing schools and can't build new ones."

Paulie Paulie said:

"The ANC has failed civilians."

Chan Ying said:

"Thi rain is too much. Government has a lot of work to do."

Tornado travels through parts of Tshwane

in a related article, Briefly News reported that a tornado damaged buildings and vehicles in Tshwane after it travelled through the city on 18 February. It ripped through Montana in the northern parts of the city.

A video of the tornado was posted on social media, and it uprooted trees and damaged infrastructure. South Africans jokingly blamed affiForum and the United States government for the natural disaster.

Source: Briefly News