KZN floods: Parents urged to prioritise pupils' safety

The flood-stricken province is preparing to reopen its schools on Tuesday after the devastation forced some schools to close.

A total of 57 pupils have been confirmed dead while five are still missing.

At least 630 schools have been affected by the floods and more than a 100 are inaccessible.

Spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi says 124 schools have suffered extensive damage.

“Our communication with parents is safety first. It is the same communication we have been having with the parents few days before the Easter weekend. They know themselves where they stay, where the schools are located and whether it is safe to release their children to go to school.

"Similarly, with our educators the communication has been the same, we rather have schools delaying in a few days with us having a recovery plan than losing lives,” says Mahlambi.

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Mahlambi says the department will be able to assess the full impact of the floods from Tuesday.

“The devastation that we have seen in the communities will have a clearer picture tomorrow when many educators are unable to attend school because they have lost their loved ones, when many children are unable to attend as they are now homeless– as the department, we will take the opportunity to continue with the data collection."

Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga is expected to visit the province on Tuesday.