Faith Nyasuguta
South Africa’s Eastern Cape province is reeling after the tragic sweep-away of a minibus carrying schoolchildren amid relentless floods and unprecedented snowstorms. The minibus vanished in roaring floodwaters, its exact passenger count still unknown, although three children have been rescued alive, provincial spokesperson Khuselwa-Rantjie confirmed. As dusk fell, rescue crews were forced to pause operations, with efforts to resume at first light on Wednesday.
The region is also grieving the loss of seven individuals whose bodies were discovered in OR-Tambo district, their lives claimed by the deluge. These fatalities are among 12 confirmed in the province since the storm hit, five people perished when snow and rain caused a minibus taxi to overturn near East-London. Witnesses say the driver tried to avoid a fallen tree before losing control of the vehicle. Two passengers survived with injuries.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane painted a stark picture of the devastation: “This is a devastating reminder of nature’s force. We urge everyone to exercise extra caution in areas prone to flooding.” In addition to the harrowing human toll, the storm wreaked infrastructure havoc, training its fury on homes, roads, and power systems.
Eskom, the national power utility, reported extensive outages: nearly 300,000 households across 14 towns and villages in the Eastern Cape are now without electricity. Across the provincial border in KwaZulu-Natal, an additional 196,000 homes were impacted. With snow piling up to 30-cm deep on some roads, Transport Minister Siboniso-Duma confirmed that many trucks are stranded and highways are gridlocked. Grader machines have been deployed to clear the heaviest drifts, but the path to relief remains muddy and dangerous.
Meteorologist Lehlohonolo-Thobela issued further warnings of gale-force winds and dangerous sea swells along South Africa’s storm-swept coasts. These conditions have disrupted both travel and maritime navigation, adding another layer to the emergency.
While snow in South Africa during the June-August winter months is not uncommon, the combination with heavy rainfall has amplified the crisis. Scientists point to climate change as a significant factor, noting the recent spike in extreme rainfall events. Indeed, flash floods in late April and early May displaced thousands and battered around 4,500 homes, 18 people sustained injuries.
Local infrastructure is buckling under successive weather events, with transport routes cut off and emergency services stretched thin. Rural communities, in particular, are bearing the brunt, as swollen rivers breach their banks and roads under snowy, icy cover become impassable.
As the storm’s aftermath unfolds, South Africans find themselves facing not just cleanup and restoration but a growing realization: that climate-induced extremes may soon become the norm. Local and national authorities are calling for heightened preparedness and investment in flood defenses, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure.
For the families of the missing children and the communities battered by this storm, the immediate focus remains on rescue and recovery. But the broader challenge is looming: how to adapt and fortify a nation increasingly at the mercy of nature’s intensified fury.
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