Sello Lentsoane, NNA News | South Africa

The South African government has officially classified the severe weather affecting several provinces across the country as a national disaster, following days of flooding, heavy rainfall and widespread infrastructure damage.

The declaration comes as disaster management teams continue rescue and relief operations in parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, North West, Free State and Mpumalanga provinces.

According to the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG), the extreme weather conditions, which began on May 4, have resulted in deaths, road collapses, power outages and disruptions to essential services.

After consultations with provincial disaster authorities and other state institutions, the head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Elias Sithole, confirmed that the scale of the disaster now requires national coordination.

“I hereby give notice that I regard this occurrence as a disaster and ... classify the disaster as a national disaster,” Sithole said.

The declaration places primary responsibility for coordinating disaster response efforts on the national government.

This aerial photo taken on May 9, 2026, shows workers repairing a bridge damaged by flooding in Garden Route District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. (South Africa's Garden Route District Municipality Government)

Authorities said the move is expected to strengthen emergency support measures and improve coordination between national, provincial and municipal structures responding to the crisis.

The severe weather has once again highlighted the growing pressure climate-related disasters are placing on infrastructure systems and vulnerable communities across South Africa.

In the Western Cape, several communities remain isolated following flooding and infrastructure damage. The Garden Route District Municipality said that humanitarian teams continue to distribute food parcels and blankets to affected residents.

“At this stage, many people remain cut off in affected areas,” the municipality said in a statement.

Disaster officials have also been tasked with implementing a “multisectoral prevention, mitigation, relief and rehabilitation plan” to manage the ongoing crisis and support recovery efforts in affected areas.

While authorities have not yet released updated casualty figures, rescue and clean-up operations remain underway in multiple provinces.

The South African Weather Service has meanwhile warned that disruptive rainfall and damaging winds are expected to continue in parts of the Western Cape until Tuesday.

The disaster declaration comes amid growing concerns over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across Southern Africa, with governments and humanitarian organisations facing mounting pressure to strengthen climate resilience and emergency response systems.