The MEC for education, Cathy Dlamini, visited eMkhondo Local Municipality on Monday, November 11, to assess the storm-damaged school buildings following the heavy rains the day before.

According to the Mpumalanga Department of Education (DoE), the exams progressed very well on Monday.

All the candidates from grades eight to 12 who had to write and those who had chemistry paper 2 and technical science paper 2 were able to sit for their exams.

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According to DoE, some mobile classrooms were damaged and two brick-and-mortar classrooms at Piet Retief Combined School in the eMkhondo East Circuit had their roofs blown off.

At Ndlela Secondary School, the kitchen and a mobile classroom were damaged. In eMkhondo West Circuit, a boys’ hostel roof was blown off, and at Hoërskool Piet Retief, carports and a laundry also had their roofs blown off. Some trees were also uprooted.

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“We are comforted by the fact that there were no lives lost and that the storms did not disrupt the exams. We are also hopeful that our learners will soldier on and do well. I want to appeal to the community to be helpful and assist one another, as some learners’ homes were damaged,” said Dlamini.