Durban - Classes at Collingwood Primary School in Wentworth, south of Durban have been suspended after this past weekend's storm ripped through the six classrooms, tearing apart a roof of one of the buildings and causing thousands of rands in damage.
Gale force winds were reported across Durban on Saturday. It uprooted trees, knocked down power lines plunging more than 1 000 homes across the city in darkness.
Loretta Hughes, chairperson of the Collingwood Primary School governing body, said she received a message on Saturday that part of the school's roof has collapsed as a result of the gale winds.
"I arrived at the school and found Mr C Chan, the principal, at the school. We looked around but could not stay long because it was still quite windy and there were lots of materials still falling," she said.
Gale force winds which swept through Durban on Saturday caused extensive damage to a school in Wentworth. Video/Se-Anne Rall
Hughes said that a decision was made that there would be no school on Monday.
"Parents received a SMS on Sunday and (on Tuesday) it was decided that school would remain closed indefinitely," she said.
Picture: Se-Anne Rall
Officials from the Departments of Health and Public Works have visited the school to assess the damage.
This is the second time in five years that the school has suffered structural damage due to inclement weather.