Two women drowned in the Jukskei River during a cleansing church ceremony on Wednesday.
Palesa Dlamini/City Press
- Two women drowned in Bramley during a cleansing church ceremony on Wednesday.
- EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said rescuers recovered the bodies in Morningside and Witkoppen.
- Mulaudzi said the EMS conducted awareness campaigns to educate residents about the danger of conducting ceremonies during the rainy season.
Two women died during a cleansing ceremony in the Jukskei River in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescuers responded to a call at 11:40 and recovered two bodies in Morningside and Witkoppen, along the Jukskei River.
It said two survivors were recovering well and did not require hospitalisation.
EMS urged church leaders to avoid performing rituals during the heavy rain season.
“EMS would like to emphasise the dangers of conducting rituals and ceremonies during the rainy season. We plead with all religious groups to refrain from such practices until the weather clears,” it said.
Spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi told News24 the drownings and deaths were a concern.
He said the EMS had conducted awareness campaigns, which started in November last year, and it included Alexandra.
He said:
We visited the communities that were affected by these drownings to teach them about the dangers of these ceremonies. We also need by-laws that will regulate these rituals because we cannot keep educating people. Somehow, we need to enforce stringent measures and there needs to be consequences.
Torrential rain, accompanied by flooding in parts of the country, including KZN, had led to several drowning incidents.
News24 previously reported that 40 people drowned and 47 were left homeless after their homes were swept away earlier this week.
The provincial cooperative governance and traditional affairs department issued several weather warnings to alert residents.
On Monday, the department said people living in low-lying areas and on riverbanks should expect to be evacuated in case of flooding.
The heavy rains affected the municipalities of Alfred Duma, Ladysmith, eMadlangeni, Endumeni, eThekwini, Greater Kokstad, Impendle, Inge, Inkosi Langalibalele, Escourt, Sobabili, KwaDukuza and Maphumulo.