Heavy rain and flooding in tourism areas including the Kruger National Park has seen the South African Government declare a state of disaster.
The response came after ongoing catastrophic weather has ravaged multiple provinces mainly in the north of the country since late December 2025, local media reported.
The declaration came after weeks of torrential rain, lightning, and damaging winds that have devastated Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the North West.
It was confirmed in a statement by Dr Elias Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre,
IOL online reported.
"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 said.
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."
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.
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."
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 worst impact is in the northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, where the fatalities occurred, as well as in parts of neighbouring Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Tourism drawcard the Kruger National Park was closed and Hoedspruit, the airport that serves the wildlife zone, shut down.
The park is one the biggest game reserves in the world.
Image: Kruger National Park, Winsor Dobbin
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