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Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

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24 minutes ago

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Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

A minibus carrying schoolchildren has been swept away by heavy flooding in South Africa, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape provincial government has told the BBC. Khuselwa Rantjie said it was unclear how many children were on the bus, but three had so far been found alive. Rescue efforts had been suspended as night had fallen and would resume on Wednesday, she added. In a separate incident, the bodies of seven people carried away by flood water have been found in the province's OR Tambo district. South Africa has been hit by heavy snow, rains and gale force winds that have claimed the lives of a further five people in a road accident, and have left nearly 500,000 homes without electricity. The Eastern Cape - the birthplace of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela - has been worst-affected by the icy conditions, along with KwaZulu-Natal province. The bad weather has forced the closure of some major roads in the two provinces to avoid further casualties. "This is a devastating reminder of nature's force. We urge everyone to exercise extra caution in areas prone to flooding," Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane said in a statement. Five people died when a minibus taxi overturned near the coastal city of East London, with the driver saying he had lost control as he was trying to avoid a fallen tree, Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, told the BBC. Two people were injured in the accident, he added. State power utility Eskom said that almost 300,000 homes had been hit by electricity cuts in 14 towns and villages in Eastern Cape. A further 196,000 homes in 24 areas in KwaZulu-Natal were also experiencing power cuts, Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena told the BBC. KwaZulu-Natal Transport Minister Siboniso Duma said that heavy snow had led to lorries being stuck on roads, causing huge congestion. Grader machines have been stationed on worst-affected roads to clear snow before it reached more than 30cm (12in) in depth. Meteorologist Lehlohonolo Thobela also warned of strong winds and heavy waves at sea, making navigation for ships difficult. Both Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are along the coast. South Africa regularly receives snowfall during its winter months, from June through August, with temperatures diving below 0C (32F). There is also regular flooding and scientists say that climate change is causing heavier rainfall in the region. Flash floods and overflowing rivers between 30 April and 2 May caused significant damage to about 4,500 homes, and left 18 people injured. Unpacking the South African land law that so inflames Trump Rebuked by Trump but praised at home: How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdown Tears and heartbreak over tragic story of South African girl sold by her mother Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa

This Father's Day, Let's *Really* Talk to Our Dads

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an hour ago

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This Father's Day, Let's Really Talk to Our Dads

When my dad FaceTimes me, he's often multitasking — reading Facebook posts or watching a football game or an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, oblivious to the fact that I can see his focus is elsewhere. I've grown used to it over the years, because even if he's distracted, at least he's checking in on me. I'm often preoccupied as well, just less visibly so: When we talk, sometimes I'm thinking about the next thing I want to say, or whether I remembered to turn the burner off on the stove. We both have ADHD — and in my father, that manifests as an innate restlessness. As my siblings and I unwrapped presents on Christmas morning or during birthday parties, he'd hover over us with a garbage bag, never letting the wrapping paper scraps touch the floor. During family movie nights, he'd get up halfway through National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and start vacuuming. But meals out and car rides were different. At a restaurant or behind the steering wheel, my dad was forced to sit still, so he was easier to talk to. It wasn't that we were discussing anything important. In fact, the subject matter was irrelevant, ranging from drama with former friends to a paper I'd written for class. What I loved was knowing that my dad was listening to me with no distractions. Focused attention is harder to come by in 2025, even for those without ADHD. People listen to podcasts or audiobooks at accelerated speeds because they don't have enough time in the day (or are just impatient). We add so many items to our to-do lists that they start to feel like an overstuffed garbage bag. There's always somewhere we need to be, something we need to do. So it's not surprising that serious conversations — especially with people who can already be tough to connect with — get pushed to the back-burner. As I edited a new anthology for Simon & Schuster called What My Father and I Don't Talk About: Sixteen Writers Break The Silence, I thought about the numerous reasons why conversations between dads and their adult children can be so difficult — or even painful. A common theme that emerged was an unwillingness to engage with difficult topics. Men aren't encouraged to be direct about the emotions they're struggling with, often the result of a lifetime absorbing the tenets of toxic masculinity. And if someone can't discuss their own flaws or problems, how are they supposed to help their kids? There are also plenty of good excuses to intentionally not talk to one's father: Some of the contributors to my latest anthology wrote about dads who were harmful, whether they were emotionally manipulative, abusive, absent, or struggling with drug addiction. But when dads and their kids can fully open up to one another, it's a beautiful thing. In Susan Muaddi Darraj's 'Baba Peels Apples for Me,' the eldest daughter of Palestinian immigrants writes about coming to understand her father after years of resistance. Darraj writes that she felt increasingly isolated during her divorce and the pandemic — until her dad told her the words she needed to hear: 'It's not easy to tackle this life alone, my daughter…That's why I will always be here for you.' Her father sat with her in her pain and offered reassurance. As I read those lines, I thought about a similar moment with my own father on a humid August day in 2021. I had broken up with a longtime boyfriend and called my father mid-run, sweat and tears glistening on my face. He doesn't always know what to do when confronted with extreme emotions, so I was surprised when he didn't tell me to 'calm down and stop crying.' Instead, he said over FaceTime, 'You're going to be okay,' aware of the gravity of the situation and directing all his attention to me. Somehow, that made me feel like it would be. For Father's Day this year, I'm not buying my father a dense history book about World War II (he wouldn't have the patience to read it, anyway) or noise-canceling headphones (a gift given in a previous year). Nor am I getting him a gift certificate to eBay, even though I know he'd make good use of it for a new vintage truck accessory. Instead, I'm treating him and my husband to a lobster dinner. Away from the distractions of computers and televisions and phones, I'll ask my father how he's doing and what's on his mind lately. Who knows where the conversation could lead? All I know is that I want to listen. Michele Filgate is the editor of What My Mother and I Don't Talk About and What My Father and I Don't Talk About. Her writing has appeared in Longreads, Poets & Writers, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Paris Review Daily, Tin House, Gulf Coast, Oprah Daily, and many other publications. The post This Father's Day, Let's *Really* Talk to Our Dads appeared first on Katie Couric Media.

Yahoo

2 hours ago

Yahoo

Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

A minibus carrying schoolchildren has been swept away by heavy flooding in South Africa, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape provincial government has told the BBC. Khuselwa Rantjie said it was unclear how many children were on the bus, but three had so far been found alive. Rescue efforts had been suspended as night had fallen and would resume on Wednesday, she added. In a separate incident, the bodies of seven people carried away by flood water have been found in the province's OR Tambo district. South Africa has been hit by heavy snow, rains and gale force winds that have claimed the lives of a further five people in a road accident, and have left nearly 500,000 homes without electricity. The Eastern Cape - the birthplace of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela - has been worst-affected by the icy conditions, along with KwaZulu-Natal province. The bad weather has forced the closure of some major roads in the two provinces to avoid further casualties. "This is a devastating reminder of nature's force. We urge everyone to exercise extra caution in areas prone to flooding," Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane said in a statement. Five people died when a minibus taxi overturned near the coastal city of East London, with the driver saying he had lost control as he was trying to avoid a fallen tree, Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, told the BBC. Two people were injured in the accident, he added. State power utility Eskom said that almost 300,000 homes had been hit by electricity cuts in 14 towns and villages in Eastern Cape. A further 196,000 homes in 24 areas in KwaZulu-Natal were also experiencing power cuts, Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena told the BBC. KwaZulu-Natal Transport Minister Siboniso Duma said that heavy snow had led to lorries being stuck on roads, causing huge congestion. Grader machines have been stationed on worst-affected roads to clear snow before it reached more than 30cm (12in) in depth. Meteorologist Lehlohonolo Thobela also warned of strong winds and heavy waves at sea, making navigation for ships difficult. Both Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are along the coast. South Africa regularly receives snowfall during its winter months, from June through August, with temperatures diving below 0C (32F). There is also regular flooding and scientists say that climate change is causing heavier rainfall in the region. Flash floods and overflowing rivers between 30 April and 2 May caused significant damage to about 4,500 homes, and left 18 people injured. Unpacking the South African land law that so inflames Trump Rebuked by Trump but praised at home: How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdown Tears and heartbreak over tragic story of South African girl sold by her mother Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa

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Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

This Father's Day, Let's Really Talk to Our Dads

Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

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Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

This Father's Day, Let's *Really* Talk to Our Dads

Schoolchildren swept away as heavy floods and snow hit South Africa

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This Father's Day, Let's Really Talk to Our Dads