A national disaster has been declared by the South African government as severe flooding devastates multiple provinces.
This declaration comes after weeks of torrential rain, lightning, and damaging winds that have continued to devastate Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape provinces. The government officially declared a national disaster in response to this catastrophic weather and flooding. These ravaging severe weather conditions have affected multiple provinces since late December 2025.
The classification was confirmed in a statement by Dr Elias Sithole, Head of the National Disaster Management Centre. He 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,” he further noted.
[BREAKING NEWS] The government has declared a national disaster following severe flooding and extreme weather in three provinces, including Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The National Disaster Management Centre will now coordinate relief efforts, with all government departments… pic.twitter.com/vToo6cmYKc
— eNCA (@eNCA) January 18, 2026
These heavy weather conditions have resulted in the loss of life, damage to property, infrastructure and the environment, as well as the disruption of basic services.
The primary responsibility of declaring a national disaster is to make sure the government manages the crisis on a national level. This move allows for the mobilisation of more resources and a unified response across all levels of government.
The National Disaster Management Centre now has to oversee a multi-sectoral relief and rehabilitation plan to ensure that everyone is assisted in the affected provinces. This will also enable the long process of rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
The closure of Kruger National Park, being one of the most affected areas, has led to the evacuation of hundreds of tourists and staff members from flooded camps to safer parts of the park.
Also see: Nelson Mandela Bay wildfire update: Fires rage on
Feature Image: Gettys
