The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has issued an urgent warning for residents to remain vigilant as severe weather conditions continue to batter parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

A Level 6 weather warning remains in place for the eThekwini Metro, as well as the Ugu, iLembe, and uMgungundlovu Districts. The rest of the province is still under a Level 4 warning with further heavy rains expected, The Witness reports.

MEC for Cogta, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has urged residents to take the warnings seriously and exercise extreme caution.

“These conditions pose a significant risk to human life and livestock,” Buthelezi warned.

The torrential downpours have already left a trail of destruction across coastal regions, causing widespread flooding, uprooted trees, and power outages affecting multiple communities.

Buthelezi said technical teams are working tirelessly to restore electricity and clear debris from essential infrastructure.

In eThekwini, the heavy rains turned deadly when a woman lost her life after her vehicle was swept off a bridge in Pinetown.

Search and Rescue teams successfully recovered both the vehicle and her body in the early hours of Friday morning.

Buthelezi extended his condolences to the bereaved family and assured that extensive mop-up operations have been launched, particularly in the eThekwini Metro, to deal with the aftermath of the storm.

“The Provincial Disaster Management Centre is actively working with all municipalities to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the heavy rains. Preliminary reports indicate substantial damage to road infrastructure and disruptions to service delivery,” said Buthelezi.

Disaster management teams remain on high alert, closely monitoring major routes and disaster-prone areas to ensure a swift and effective response to any further emergencies.

Meanwhile, Krantzkloof Nature Reserve in Kloof was damage due to last Thursday’s heavy rain which has resulted in a temporary closure. The main entrance and parking area on Kloof Falls Road was damaged.

The Kloof and Highway SPCA office is also closed after suffering structural damage from the heavy rains. The facility also has no electricity and phones and internet are down. They reported that all animals under their care are safe.

Eskom said it is working on restoring electricity across the province. The power utility in KZN said teams are on the ground responding to faults, with all available resources deployed to restore supply as quickly as possible.

“Areas severely affected include Ingagane, Colenso, Nottingham Road, Underberg, Mandini, Ixopo, Melmoth, Mtubatuba, Eshowe, Stanger, Greytown, Wartburg, and Harding,” said Eskom KZN spokesperson Joyce Zingoni.

“We appeal for patience from our customers, as some areas are inaccessible due to infrastructure damage. We assure you that every effort is being made to restore power safely and efficiently.”

Zingoni urged residents to treat all electrical installations as live and avoid fallen cables, damaged infrastructure, or hazardous areas. She asked that any incidents be reported to local authorities or Eskom immediately.

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