Limpopo – Thousands of pupils in Limpopo were unable to attend the first day of the 2026 school year due to severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall across several districts.
Communities in Mopani, Vhembe and parts of Sekhukhune have been cut off as the South African Weather Service issued orange level 6 and level 9 warnings for disruptive and dangerous weather conditions.
GIYANI FLOODING WORSENS
Orange Level 9 alert still active in Limpopo, heavy rains have overflowed rivers like Nsamidam, isolating more villages. Roads & bridges submerged, schools inaccessible, power outages reported.
Stay indoors, avoid floodwaters. Emergency teams active. pic.twitter.com/FfEEHB4FHN— Hope SA 🕊 (@HopeSAfoundatio) January 14, 2026
Limpopo Cogta MEC Basikopo Makamu convened an emergency meeting to coordinate disaster response efforts, while the provincial Department of Education advised schools in badly affected areas to delay reopening for safety reasons.
“The South African Weather Services has, for now, indicated that the heavy rains might start subsiding around Saturday, but at the rate that it is raining, it is our duty to see to it that our people are taken care of in order to reduce disasters,” The Citizen quoted Makamu as saying.
The Mohlapitsi river in Ga-Mampa village, Mafefe is overflowing as the Limpopo province continues to experience floods. Learners and teachers who had planned to go to school on Wednesday had to turn back as some struggled to pass through the river. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/n8O0OfAzkC
— SABC News Radio (@SABCNews_Radio) January 14, 2026
“We are happy because even the provincial Department of Education has also issued a circular, advising that schools that are in places that are badly affected should not let kids go to school for their safety.”
Municipalities have been instructed to submit costed damage reports to the Provincial Disaster Management Centre as authorities prioritise human dignity, safety and livelihoods amid ongoing rainfall.
IN PICTURES: Scores trapped as river floods in Mutale in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo. For more visit https://t.co/TS6YUmNBRC pic.twitter.com/R61XqyHSQq
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 12, 2026
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
