Road show to get South Africans weather smart

The campaign - organised by the Water and Environmental Affairs Department - went to Duduza outside Nigel on Monday, where Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi was amongst the officials empowering residents on how to stay safe when climate disasters strike.

"I think everyone can see now that climate change is a reality. Our people are always hit by tornados, killed by lightning and displaced as a result of flooding ... We decided that we must embark on a road show to build a weather-ready nation so they know what to do when bad weather strikes their respective areas," she said.

Mabudafhasi said it was important for communities to know that when it is lightning, they are not supposed to stand under a tree or go to the fields to plough.

"When people see dark clouds gathering, they should not linger on the streets - they must rush [home]. We are also planning to strengthen this campaign by taking it to schools."

Killer lightning

The weather awareness road show started in KwaZulu-Natal where many people have been killed by lightning in the past two years.

The deputy minister also visited the mother of the eight-year-old boy who was killed when a tornado ripped through the Masechaba Extension 2 area in Duduza last year.

Constance Mkhantshwa, the deceased boy's mother, who has since received a new RDP house, said: "I'm happy that they have built a new house for me, but I'm becoming impatient with some of the promises made to change my life."

The tornado completely destroyed over 150 poorly build RDP houses, leaving families displaced, while infrastructure, such as power lines, was damaged and trees were uprooted. A total of 166 people were treated for various injuries and transported to nearby hospitals.

The road show, themed "Power our future with weather, climate and water", is done in partnership with the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

Increasing awareness

SAWS corporate communications senior manager, Kenosi Machepa, said: "We agreed to partner with the department because we want our people to act proactively when weather disaster is about to strike their areas.

"In the past, Disaster Management was responsible for disseminating information, including warning communities about bad weather, but now we've realised that it is not enough because when heavy rains cause havoc, our people are still affected."

The road show aims to increase awareness on the dangers of lighting, thunderstorms as well as what to do in times of heavy rains.

Machepa said residents would also be encouraged to look after the environment by refraining from littering rivers and parks, which sometimes can lead to the start of fire.

"We will also visit the Vaal area to tell them about the dangers of flooding and drowning."

On February 27, the road show will go to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, and will be in Limpopo and Mpumalanga in March.