In the wake of severe weather warnings, schools in selected areas of the Eden and Central Karoo education district will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
The decision was made on Tuesday afternoon to protect pupils and teachers.
Western Cape education minister David Maynier said the decision followed extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the SA Weather Service (SAWS).
The closures affect schools in areas under severe rainfall warnings, including Circuits 3 and 8 in George, Circuit 4 in Knysna, and Circuits 5 and 6 in Oudtshoorn.
Affected schools have been formally notified by the head of department and instructed to inform parents.
All other schools in the Western Cape will remain open, unless specific closure approval is granted on a case-by-case basis.
The Garden Route Disaster Management team had earlier requested a meeting with the department of education after SAWS issued warnings linked to a cut-off low system expected to impact the province.
Gerhard Otto, head of disaster management for the Garden Route District Municipality, said an early warning had been received for the weather system moving into the Western Cape.
The adverse weather conditions are expected to affect municipalities including Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, and Plettenberg Bay.
“The warning is at Level 8. So it’s quite a severe storm. We expect the bulk of the rain could exceed 100 to 200mm on Wednesday,” Otto said.
“We’re also expecting wind gusts of up to 80km/h, and in addition to that, wave heights of between 5m and 8m.
“So it’s quite a severe storm that’s going to affect most of the municipalities in the Garden Route.”
All role-players had been placed on high alert and municipalities had been alerted to inform residents.
The nonprofit Gift of the Givers Foundation said its teams were on standby across the southern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State, with additional aid being dispatched to the Northern Cape.
Following SAWS Level 6 to 10 weather warnings for parts of the southern and Eastern Cape, the organisation has mobilised personnel in Buffalo City, the Amathole District Municipality, Amahlathi District Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Koukamma and Kouga municipalities.
It is working alongside local municipalities, disaster management teams, the department of co-operative governance, the SA Police Service, SA National Defence Force and donors.
Warehouses and supplies have been arranged, with further assistance being dispatched from logistics centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Municipalities are also preparing community halls, transport and evacuation resources should flooding or displacement occur.
Knysna mayor Thando Matika confirmed that all municipal departments were on high alert.
“Our priority is the safety of our residents and the protection of property and infrastructure.
“We urge communities to take these warnings seriously and to follow all official guidance,” he said.
George mayor Browen Johnson urged residents, particularly those in informal settlements and low-lying or flood-prone areas, to remain cautious and prepare for severe weather.
“We want to assure the rest of the community that we are ready and that we should be safe.
“But I want the community of George to look out on our social media pages, to make sure you are ready in terms of the expected rainfall that will come towards George,” he said.
In the Eastern Cape, the provincial government has activated disaster management teams following SAWS Yellow Level 6 and 8 warnings for disruptive rain and severe thunderstorms expected until Thursday.
The weather service has warned that heavy rainfall may cause flooding in residential areas, damage to roads, bridges and infrastructure, and hazardous driving conditions.
High-risk areas include the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City metros, as well as the Kouga, Koukamma, Makana, Great Kei, Ndlambe, Ngqushwa and Sundays River municipalities.
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