11 August 2026
KwaZulu-Natal communities in Impendle, Kokstad and Underberg have been severely hit by heavy snowfall on Tuesday, with some residents even left isolated and unable to communicate with the outside world.
In a statement released on Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said teams from the Department of Human Settlements would be deployed to assist communities affected by the extreme weather.
Duma was speaking after inspecting areas around Kokstad that experienced heavy snowfall.
“We wish to single out the Kokstad and Impendle municipalities, where communities have been exposed to severe freezing temperatures,” Duma said in the statement.
He said some homes had been completely blanketed by snow, leaving residents dealing with leaking houses.
“Those houses are leaking as they have been completely blanketed by the snow,” he said.
Duma said communities living below the Drakensberg Mountain in Impendle had been particularly badly affected.
He said heavy snow had weakened network and cellular signals in some areas, leaving residents unable to access emergency services or communicate with people outside their communities.
“There are many other communities in deep rural areas in Underberg, Kokstad and the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape that have been severely affected by the snow,” Duma said.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has dispatched a team to join the provincial department’s response efforts.
The team will work alongside the provincial Human Settlements roving team, Impendle Local Municipality, uMgungundlovu District Municipality and other stakeholders to speed up interventions in affected communities.
Duma also praised the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) and grader operators for their role in implementing the province’s snowfall response plan.
