South Africa: Govt Declares National Disaster Over Severe Weather

City of Cape Town

City of Cape Town teams are on the ground clearing debris from fallen trees and removing storm-related obstructions across affected areas as part of ongoing mopping-up operations.

11 May 2026

allAfrica.com

South Africa has declared a national disaster in response to a wave of severe weather that has battered several provinces over the past week.

The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) announced on Saturday evening that extreme conditions — including heavy rain, flooding, violent thunderstorms, destructive winds, and snowfall — have been battering the country since May 4. Six provinces have been affected: the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, North West, Free State, and Mpumalanga.

Elias Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre, made the declaration official after consulting with state bodies and provincial disaster management authorities and reviewing the scale of the damage. The designation that shifts primary responsibility for coordinating the response to the national government.

Sithole urged the government to reinforce support for disaster management structures and ensure that national authorities are equipped to tackle the crisis effectively. He also called on national, provincial, and municipal governments to roll out a coordinated, multi-sector plan covering prevention, mitigation, relief, and rehabilitation, with regular progress reports submitted so that the government can track efforts by state departments, municipalities, NGOs, and affected communities.

The declaration comes as rescue and clean-up teams continue working across multiple provinces in the wake of widespread flooding, collapsed infrastructure, road closures, and power outages. Authorities have not yet released updated figures on casualties.

In the Western Cape, the Garden Route District Municipality reported on Sunday morning that several areas were still cut off and that many residents remained without power. Humanitarian teams continue to distribute food parcels and blankets to those in need.

The South African Weather Service warned that the region is not yet in the clear, cautioning that heavy rain and damaging winds are expected to continue affecting parts of the Western Cape through to Tuesday.