ActionSA has raised serious concerns over the impact of recent heavy rains and flooding across Mpumalanga, warning that failing infrastructure is placing lives at risk, particularly those of school learners.

In a statement issued on Sunday, ActionSA said the provincial government has confirmed that an estimated R2.1 billion is needed to repair flood-damaged infrastructure, including roads and crossings that are critical for mobility, safety and economic activity.

The party said the human cost of the floods is even more alarming. The death toll linked to the heavy rains in Mpumalanga has risen sharply, with dozens of lives lost across the province and neighbouring areas.

“These are not merely statistics. They are families torn apart and communities traumatised by a tragedy that demands urgent and decisive leadership,” said Thoko Mashiane, an ActionSA Member of the Mpumalanga Legislature.

Mashiane highlighted conditions in Matsulu, where learners are reportedly being forced to cross roads that have turned into flowing streams just to get to and from school.

“This is extremely dangerous and entirely unacceptable. No child should have to risk their life in order to access an education,” she said.

According to ActionSA, the crisis exposes a deeper structural problem in the province, with infrastructure that is not designed to withstand extreme weather events. In many rural areas, communities rely on low-lying crossings that were never properly engineered to endure heavy rainfall.

“These structures did not fail by chance. They were inadequate by design,” Mashiane said, adding that the predictable result is flooded roads, isolated communities and lives placed in danger.

The party said the R2.1 billion repair bill is evidence of a reactive approach by government, arguing that proper planning, engineering and maintenance could have significantly reduced both the financial burden and the loss of life.

ActionSA has called on provincial and national authorities to urgently mobilise additional aid for affected communities, prioritise the restoration of safe access routes—especially those used by learners—and commit to a long-term infrastructure strategy that accounts for climate change and extreme weather.

“The people of Mpumalanga deserve infrastructure that protects them, not systems that fail them when they are most vulnerable,” Mashiane said.