TZANEEN – Communities in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality are spending their Goodwill Day in darkness following power outages caused by heavy rain that occurred late on Friday afternoon.

The heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and strong winds, damaged residential homes and electricity infrastructure.

According to the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, the storm resulted in fallen trees, road blockages and flooding in several areas.

“Affected areas include the stretch between Letsitele and Tarantaalrand, where trees have fallen and are obstructing the road; the R71 near Makgoebaskloof Dam, where a tree has fallen onto the road; flooding reported along the R36 at Bridgeway Village, Maake Plaza and Mhangweni Village; fallen trees on roads in Agatha; and in Nkowankowa, from the Power Station to Mariveni, where trees are also blocking the road,” the municipality said.

Heavy rains in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality have resulted in fallen trees, road blockages and flooding in several areas. pic.twitter.com/tU7fveJI95

— LetabaHerald (@HeraldLetaba) December 26, 2025

Road maintenance teams have been dispatched to the affected areas.

At this stage, the full extent of the damage to the electricity infrastructure remains unclear, and residents have been asked to be patient while electricians work to restore power.

According to information shared in a WhatsApp community group in Letsitele, areas including Tzaneen, Letsitele, Tarantaalrand and Nkowankowa villages, from Bindzulani to Mulati, are expected to remain without electricity until Saturday morning, as both the 66kV and 11kV power lines are reportedly down.