As adverse weather conditions continue throughout the Western Cape, the Department of Education says all schools will be closed on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says this decision was made in the interest of both learners and teachers, whose safety is the department’s main priority.

The MEC for Education, David Maynier, says his department consulted key role players.

“In the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), a decision has been taken to close all schools in the Western Cape on Tuesday, 12 May 2026. This includes all public ordinary and special schools in the province. Disaster Management and SAWS have made the recommendation based on updated weather projections and current conditions,” he stressed.

Maynier says while the department tries to avoid school closures at all times, the extreme weather conditions cannot be ignored.

“Our default position is always to keep schools open and only close schools in exceptional circumstances, but we are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place. We will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation to ensure that schools can reopen as soon as possible, which is currently expected to be on Wednesday, 13 May 2026,” he reiterated.

The department confirmed that over 200 schools applied for closure in addition to the closure list issued for the Cape Winelands, Eden, and Central Karoo districts. Several schools have also suffered damage due to the storm, which is currently being assessed.

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The Department of Home Affairs says it is making steady progress in the transition from the Green Identity Document (ID) to Smart IDs.

Home Affairs minister, Leon Schreiber, says more than 100,000 Smart ID cards have been issued within two months of the department expanding its digital partnership with commercial banks.

The initiative allows South Africans to apply for Smart IDs at over 140,000 participating bank branches nationwide, helping to ease congestion and reduce long queues at Home Affairs offices.

“Now is your time to switch if you still have the old ID. Over 146,000 bank branches are now live across the country and ready to assist South Africans who wish to switch from the Green ID to Smart IDs. The process is simple and takes less than five minutes to complete,” Schreiber added.

The department says it plans to expand the service to 1,000 branches.

Also read: Get your smart ID at more bank branches

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA says it remains on high alert as strong winds and heavy rainfall continue until tomorrow.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is urging pet owners to take extra precautions during the cold and wet conditions by bringing animals indoors where possible.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abrahams, says that where indoor shelter is not available, pet lovers should provide waterproof kennels that are raised off the ground and positioned away from strong winds to protect animals.

“Bedding must be checked daily and replaced if wet, as damp bedding can cause fatal hypothermia. Horse and livestock owners are urged to move animals to higher ground if flooding becomes imminent. The SPCA is available to assist should evacuation become necessary,” she added.

Abrahams further says that the SPCA has activated its disaster response protocols and is mobilising first responders as disruptive rainfall and flooding across the West Coast, Cape Winelands, the City of Cape Town and Western Overberg districts continue.

As localised flooding is also reported in several communities across the metro, the SPCA says it is fully prepared to assist destitute animals as far as possible. The SPCA’s Inspectorate is loading rescue vehicles with waders, wetsuits, carriers, blankets, animal feed, and other emergency supplies.

“Floods don’t give second chances. Our team rescues soaked dogs and stranded cats, but we also respond to horses bogged in clay, Cape fur seals swept ashore, baby birds blown from nests by gale-force winds, and even porcupines flooded out of their stormwater drain homes. Whether they walk, fly, swim, or gallop – the storm affects them all.”

Members of the public are advised to report animals without shelter or animals in distress via 021 700 4158 / 021 700 4159. WhatsApp: 021 700 4140

The Health Department says test results for a Western Cape resident who was tested for hantavirus last week have returned negative.

The individual was one of four people from the province who travelled on the same Airlink flight as the Dutch woman who later died in Johannesburg from hantavirus-related complications in late April.

Ten passengers on the flight are from Gauteng, with one displaying symptoms. The test results from this individual are not yet known. There were 82 passengers and 6 crew onboard the Airlink flight in total.

The Dutch woman had disembarked from the MV Hondius at St Helena Island before flying to Johannesburg on 25 April.

Her husband had earlier died on board the cruise ship.

Health authorities believe the couple may have been exposed to rodents carrying the rare Andes strain of hantavirus while birdwatching at a landfill site in Argentina before boarding the vessel.

Officials believe the virus was then brought onto the ship, where several infections were later recorded.

They were identified as 70-year-old Leo Schilperoord, and his wife, the 69-year-old Mirjam Schilperoord. They were avid birdwatchers from Haulerwijk, Netherlands.

A German woman also died on board the ship. A British passenger was evacuated to South Africa from the ship after falling ill and is recovering in a Johannesburg hospital.

Meanwhile, passengers from the MV Hondius were evacuated from Tenerife on Sunday and are being flown home to their respective countries.

Spain, France, Britain, Ireland, Turkey and the United States are among the nations coordinating charter flights and quarantine measures.

Health officials say the risk to the wider public remains low, with passengers expected to self-isolate for up to 42 days after exposure.

The World Health Organisation has stressed that this is not the start of another pandemic, as the hantavirus does not spread as readily as coronaviruses.

Read The Guardian’s latest article, explaining how the tragedy at sea unfolded.