Two young girls, from northern KwaZulu-Natal, were killed when lightning struck them when they were on their way to school on Monday morning.
The department of co-operative governance said in a statement issued on Tuesday that eight-year-old Nomcebo Shabalala and 13-year-old Amahle Sithole, were struck by lightning in the Bayafuthi area in uMsinga. Both girls were pupils at Madlethu Primary School.
Acting MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Weziwe Thusi conveyed her condolences to the families of both girls and described their deaths as a “devastating blow to the community"
"It is a sad reminder that we are now in the summer season where the frequency of lightning incidents has somehow increased from what it used to be due to the reality of climate change. While this is an act of nature, it is a growing problem especially in summer and warrants that we all learn methods of adapting to these unpredictable weather patterns. We wish to assure the affected families of our support and assistance," she said.
In a weather update issued by the South African Weather Services on Tuesday morning, there were no warnings issued for the province however rain and thundershowers were forecast for most parts of the province.