The Department of Water and Sanitation is urging people planning to perform religious or traditional rituals in rivers and streams to suspend such activities – particularly over the Easter period.
This follows recent heavy rains in parts of the country, which have caused a sharp rise in river and dam levels, increasing the risk of flooding.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has echoed the call for caution: “We also want to urge those who have spiritual and ritual activities that they do in the rivers and dams to please, at this particular moment, move away and try to suspend them a little bit. We are not insensitive, but we are more concerned about the loss of lives. Because they are going to be washed away, they are going to be drowned.”
Meanwhile, the Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, says they will remain on high alert throughout the Easter long weekend.
“Up until we get to a situation where we don’t have any incidents reported, that’s where we will be saying, Yes, our message is being adhered to. So far, I will say it’s not because we still continue to receive these kinds of incidents. So we will still continue to make sure that our residents are informed about the dangers of visiting these kinds of streams.”
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