Trail of destruction: Strong gusts batter KZN Midlands

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands is counting the costs after severe weather conditions, characterised by strong gusts, left a trail of destruction.

Extensive damage to property and infrastructure, triggering runaway fires and uprooted trees, has created dangerous driving conditions in the Midlands.

Destruction

At the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, five state-owned vehicles were damaged due to fallen trees during the strong gusts.

The Hilton office has also seen its properties and infrastructure severely impacted by uprooted trees, including two state vehicles and a privately owned car.

The Department’s Assets workstream is currently leading cleanup operations, clearing debris and restoring infrastructure, such as damaged carports.

MEC for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa has reacted to the trail of destruction.

“We acknowledge the devastation caused by the runaway fires in other areas. We extend our sympathies to the farmers affected. In 2024, we provided thousands of bales to assist farmers in need to offset their losses.”

Monitoring

Mthethwa said they are currently monitoring the situation closely.

“Despite the damage to our assets and infrastructure, there are no casualties reported. Our teams are on the ground assessing the extent of the damage, including the damage to vehicles that had been parked at our offices.”

National Disaster

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has classified the recent severe weather events affecting several provinces as a national disaster.

Torrential rainfall, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, and snowfall have lashed large parts of the country over the past week, leaving communities submerged, homes and roads destroyed, and critical and essential services disrupted across several provinces.

Response

The Head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Dr Elias Sithole, classified the recent severe weather events as a national disaster in terms of Section 23(1)(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002).

“The classification follows widespread severe weather conditions experienced from 4 May 2026, including heavy rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, damaging winds and snowfall across the Western Cape, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces,” Sithole said.

Sithole added that the classification of the disaster will enable the government to intensify coordination and strengthen ongoing response and recovery efforts across all spheres of government.