Floods declared national disaster as death toll rises across provinces

Mapaballo Borotho

KZN floods — Image: Andile Gogoda Twitter

Floods have been officially declared a national disaster following severe weather that claimed lives across several provinces.
Mpumalanga has recorded at least 20 deaths, with more heavy rain expected.
Government has intensified coordinated response and recovery efforts to support affected communities.

The South African government has officially classified the recent floods as a national disaster in terms of Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act.

This follows severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, strong winds and widespread flooding that affected Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, among other provinces, resulting in loss of life last week. Mpumalanga alone has recorded 20 fatalities, with further warnings of heavy rain still being issued.

The classification comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted an oversight visit to flood-affected areas in Limpopo on Saturday, where he assessed the damage and witnessed the scale of devastation firsthand.

In terms of Section 26 read with Section 23 of the Act, the National Executive has now assumed primary responsibility for coordinating and managing the national disaster.

All organs of state across the three spheres of government are required to strengthen support to disaster management structures, implement contingency measures, submit progress reports to the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), and ensure a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to prevention, mitigation, relief and rehabilitation.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Velenkosini Hlabisa reaffirmed government’s commitment to restoring normality and rebuilding affected areas, with a focus on resilient infrastructure.

“The Minister conveyed his deepest condolences to families and communities affected by the loss of life and urged residents to remain vigilant, heed warnings, avoid unnecessary travel and prioritise safety. Response and recovery efforts will continue to be coordinated to ensure that assistance reaches all affected communities,” said CoGTA spokesperson Legadima Leso.