SA classifies floods as national disaster across five provinces

South Africa has formally classified severe weather and widespread flooding as a national disaster after weeks of disruptive conditions across five provinces, according to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) as reported by  BusinessTech.

CoGTA said the classification was effected by National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) head Dr Elias Sithole after consultations with government bodies and provincial disaster management centres, following an assessment of adverse weather experienced since late November 2025.

The department said heavy rainfall, strong winds, lightning and flooding have affected Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and North West. The impact includes loss of life, damage to property and infrastructure, displacement of communities, disruption to schooling and agriculture, and closures in parts of the Kruger National Park.

CoGTA reported that Mpumalanga has recorded 20 deaths and Limpopo 18, with further rainfall warnings still in place.

The classification follows recent oversight visits by President Cyril Ramaphosa to Limpopo and by CoGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to Mpumalanga to assess damage and response operations.

Under the Disaster Management Act framework referenced by CoGTA, the national executive assumes primary responsibility for coordinating and managing the disaster response. CoGTA said all spheres of government must strengthen disaster management support, implement contingency measures and submit progress reports to the NDMC.

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Hlabisa said recovery plans will prioritise restoring services and rebuilding with more resilient infrastructure, while response and recovery efforts continue to ensure support reaches affected communities.

The flood classification comes as other disaster-related pressures are also being flagged by authorities and officials, including a Western Cape push for a provincial state of disaster amid wildfires and water shortages, and plans by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen to table a proposed foot-and-mouth disease disaster declaration at Cabinet.

Source: BusinessTech