At least two people died from hypothermia after they were trapped in the heavy snow on the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.
During a briefing on Sunday afternoon, KZN acting Premier Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa said while some motorists still remain trapped, many have been rescued.
This comes after road users spent two nights in their cars as they were unable to move due to the heavy snow.
Madlopha-Mthethwa said all resources and teams have been dispatched to assist motorists who are stranded on roads.
“These teams are working tirelessly to ensure safe passage and provide assistance where necessary. The Municipal Parks Department is on stand-by to remove tree debris from affected roads and areas,” Madlopha-Mthethwa said.
“Furthermore, we are collaborating with non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross and the Al Imdaad Foundation, who are providing food, water, and hot meals to stranded motorists. Provincial agencies, including SASSA and the Department of Social Development (DSD), are actively profiling affected families and offering immediate relief.”
The acting premier added that members from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are on stand-by with helicopters to assist in delivering hot meals and evacuating individuals in severely impacted areas.
“We urge all residents to remain vigilant, follow safety guidelines, and avoid unnecessary travel to ensure their safety during these challenging weather conditions,” she said.
Earlier, N3 Toll Concession spokesperson, Thania Dhoogra, said the area between Tugela Plaza in KZN and Harrismith in the Free State, were still a no-go area and added that there was 30km stretch that still needed to be cleared and they were facing challenges of removing abandoned and broken-down vehicles off the road.
Speaking to IOL, South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster, Celeste Fourie, said there won’t be any snow expected as from Monday but there will be some slightly cold conditions during the week.
“There won’t be any major develop or adverse weather like we experienced in the past week expect that in the western parts of the Free State there will be isolated thunder showers in the afternoon and on Tuesday, southern pasts of KZN will experience isolated thundershowers, nothing in Gauteng,” she said.
“However, on Wednesday, there will be a cold front approaching that will bring some evening light rain and showers for the south western parts of the Western Cape.”
Fourie added that on Thursday and Friday, there will be partly cloudy conditions in the Free State, Gauteng and KZN.
“But some western parts of the country might experience some isolated rain up until the Port Elizabeth area,” she said.
IOL News