By Barbara Nwaiwu
South Africa’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has confirmed that 18 people have died following severe weather conditions that affected several provinces across the country since early May.
The announcement was made on Saturday as authorities continued emergency response operations in communities impacted by flooding, heavy rainfall, strong winds and snowfall.
COGTA spokesperson Pearl Maseko-Binqose said the majority of the fatalities were recorded in the Western Cape province, which has experienced widespread flooding and infrastructure damage in recent weeks.
She said that emergency personnel and humanitarian teams were still assisting affected residents across the impacted provinces.
“Disaster management teams and relief organizations remain on the ground, assisting affected communities and coordinating emergency response efforts,” she stated.
The South African government has since classified the severe weather affecting six provinces as a national disaster following extensive destruction caused by storms and flooding that began on May 4.
Authorities said the extreme weather damaged homes, roads and other critical infrastructure, while some communities were cut off after roads became inaccessible.
The Cape Town metropolitan government disclosed on Friday that about 31,709 dwellings and approximately 103,350 residents across 67 informal settlements were affected by the adverse weather conditions.
Officials in the Western Cape also reported ongoing challenges related to access to electricity, drinking water and temporary shelter in some communities.
The Western Cape remains the hardest hit province since the severe weather began, with local authorities continuing assessments of damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.
South African disaster management agencies have maintained emergency response operations as recovery efforts continue across the affected provinces.
