One of the casualties from this past week’s storm havoc is being laid to rest today. Twelve-year-old Otsile Sere died after being swept away by raging floods in the North West exactly a week ago.

Following the widespread destruction, the government has officially classified the adverse weather as a national disaster across six provinces, including the North West.

The North West provincial government confirmed that officials have been on the ground assessing storm-related damage and providing emergency relief. On Friday, a delegation led by Premier Lazarus Mokgosi visited Taung, one of the hardest-hit areas, where several villages were left isolated by the rising waters.

Premier Mokgosi, alongside the aid organisation Gift of the Givers, has pledged ongoing support for the flood-hit communities.

North West Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC, Gaoage Molapisi, stated that government interventions include providing temporary housing to residents who have lost their homes.

"There are mud houses that have collapsed; the National Department of Human Settlements is doing an assessment of those houses and necessary intervention will be done in terms of providing them with the temporary residential units," said Molapisi.

The North West is not alone in its grief. Other provinces, including the Western Cape, are also mourning the loss of life related to the severe weather systems that have battered the country over the last seven days.

This article was originally posted by EWN