It is said water is symbol of life, cleansing of the old and the welcoming of new beginnings.
But what happens when that which is meant to bring life, is the very thing which ends up taking it?
This year the country saw devastating scenes of water tragedies from disasters, drownings and the wake of the cholera outbreak which killed over 100 South Africans across the country.
It is safe to say that water became mother nature's deadly weapon of terror. Below Daily Sun takes readers into the tragic scenes which occurred because of water in 2023.
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Cholera outbreak: 'Cries fell on deaf ears!'
The country has reported 1,045 suspected cholera cases in 15 of 52 districts across five provinces this year, with 197 confirmed laboratory cases. Gauteng has the most cases, with 176 reported from three districts.
Over 15 people have died from the outbreak, leaving families heartbroken. One area, Hammanskraal in Tshwane, Gauteng, was the most affected, with poor water quality attributed to the failure of the Rooiwal wastewater treatment works.
The discharge of untreated and partially treated sewage and sludge pollutes the Leeukraal Dam, where the Temba water treatment works abstract water for treatment and distribution. A R450 million allocation for upgrading Rooiwal is being considered, but it remains uncertain if the money will be used effectively.
Baptism Drownings
River baptisms and cleansing ceremonies were a major cause of despair this year. While these rituals hold great significance within the African culture, there is a lack of caution in carrying out these activities. This has led to more incidents of drownings.
Two young people, a teenager (18) and a 21-year-old man, were washed away on Saturday, 18 November during a cleansing ritual in the Klip River near Olifantsvlei, Joburg. Another 18-year-old boy drowned while crossing the river on Tuesday, 14 November.
Such incidents resemble that of 2022 when the community of Joburg suffered a huge loss, where 16 congregants from a local church were swept away by flash floods in the Juskei River.
Emergency Services have since called out to prophets and izangoma to be cautious when carrying out such rituals. Izangoma on the other hand, have urged that appropriate measures be taken before heading to rivers for rituals.
Heavy rain wreaks havoc
And finally, the weather this year was met with several tragedies with many attributed to heavy rain. In February, heavy rain caused havoc across Mzansi with bridges collapsing, homes being destroyed and people going missing.
In Gauteng alone multiple roads were flooded and a man was swept away when the Apies River in Tshwane, flooded.
In Polokwane CBD, Limpopo multiple streets flooded, bringing traffic to a halt where some motorists were stuck with nowhere to go. These conditions persisted throughout the year with provinces like Eastern Cape, Western Cape and again Gauteng being heavily affected.
In Western Cape two people were believed to have died after being swept away by floods in the Overberg region as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in the area. Some time in November, Gauteng again experienced severe thunderstorms that lashed through the province.
A tornado hit the Lekwa Local Municipality in Mpumalanga on Monday night, 13 November. Traces of damaged vehicles and buildings could be seen alongside flooding in homes with several pictures of hail trending on social media.
These conditions were similar to those in January when motorists in Gauteng experienced the snow firsthand on Monday, 10 July. The homeless were forced to seek homage in shelters.
