2 Bodies Recovered in Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal Floods Death Toll Rises to 9

• The MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, said more people died in the province from the recent rains
• Parts of South Africa experienced severe rainfall that flooded provinces like Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the North West
• The number of people who died in the province rose to nine as two more bodies were recovered

For seven years, 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.

KWAZULU-NATAL — The KwaZulu-Natal government announced that the death toll of those who died since heavy rainfall and severe storms hit South Africa on 17 February 2025 has risen to nine. The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi said two bodies were discovered in the Ugu districts.

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How many people died in KZN?

According to TimesLIVE, the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal were affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding on 19 and 20 February. The provincial disaster management teams discovered the bodies of two men, Sithembiso Mbutho and Musa Dlungele, who were swept away while attempting a river crossing in the Umzumbe area in the Ugu district.

A child's body was also found in Vryheid after being swept away by the heavy rains. The province's MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, was concerned that residents were not heeding the weather warnings the South African Weather Service was issuing.

He had been visiting the families of those who lost their lives and homes in KwaMakhutha, Umbumbulu and Adams Missions.

He called on residents to practice vigilance and pointed out that the rainy season has not yet concluded.

"We have suffered a great loss as a province, where almost every month we lose people through weather-related disasters," he said.

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What you need to know about the recent weather

• A tornado left a trail of destruction in Pretoria on 19 February 2025, when it damaged a building in Montana, leaving vehicles damaged as a result
• Schools in the North West province suspended learning on the same day after intense rainfall caused flooding, preventing motorists from passing and damaging several schools
• The North West also experienced the loss of lives after an unconfirmed number of people were swept away into the waters of the Schoonspruit River while trying to cross the river

University flooded during heavy rains

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the North West University in Mahikeng was flooded as a result of the downpour that the province experienced. A TikTok user shared a video of the extent of the flood on campus.

The video showed the extent of the flooding, which affected the library. The video garnered over 600,000 views, with comments ranging from concern to light-hearted banter.

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One netizen shared the experience of a relative working in the library.

"My brother works in the library. I thought he was exaggerating when he told us that the campus is under the ocean," he said.

Source: Briefly News