The government has officially declared a national disaster in response to catastrophic severe weather and flooding that have ravaged multiple provinces since late December 2025.
The classification was confirmed in a statement by Dr Elias Sithole, Head of the National Disaster Management Centre.
The declaration comes after weeks of torrential rain, lightning, and damaging winds that have devastated Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the North West.
In the official directive, Dr Sithole cited the immense scale of the destruction as the primary reason for the escalated status.
“I regard this occurrence as a disaster and, in terms of Section 23(1)(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002. I classify the disaster as a national disaster,” Sithole stated.
He noted that the severe weather has “resulted in the loss of life, damage to property, infrastructure and the environment, as well as the disruption of basic services.”
By declaring a national disaster, the primary responsibility to coordinate and manage the crisis now shifts to the National Executive.
This move allows for the mobilisation of more resources and a unified response across all levels of government.
Dr Sithole has called upon all organs of state to “further strengthen their support to the disaster management structures” and to ensure that contingency plans are fully activated to deal with the ongoing effects of the floods.
The National Disaster Management Centre will now oversee a multisectoral relief and rehabilitation plan to assist the affected provinces and begin the long process of rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
IOL
Get your news on the go. Download the latest IOL App for Android and IOS now.
