 MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has placed disaster management teams on high alert ahead of the busy Easter weekend, citing the need for precautionary measures despite no immediate severe weather warnings.){kind=link}
By Thapelo Molefe
KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has placed disaster management teams on high alert ahead of the busy Easter weekend, citing the need for precautionary measures despite no immediate severe weather warnings.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the department said emergency and municipal response units across the province will remain on standby as KZN prepares for an influx of tourists, travellers and religious gatherings.
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The move comes as forecasters monitor an upper-air trough expected to bring scattered showers and thundershowers across parts of the province on Sunday and Monday.
Buthelezi said the activation of emergency services was a proactive step to safeguard residents and visitors during a period typically marked by high travel volumes and large public gatherings.
“We are committed to maintaining high-level vigilance to ensure provincial resilience. The standby status of local emergency units is a proactive precaution to protect lives and assets,” he said.
Municipal fire and emergency services have been instructed to ensure readiness, particularly in areas prone to flooding or infrastructure strain.
The department has urged the public to remain cautious, especially during wet weather conditions, warning against crossing flooded bridges or swollen rivers and calling on motorists to exercise extra care on the roads.
The precautionary stance comes against the backdrop of deadly Easter-period disasters that have struck the province in recent years.
In 2019, an intense cut-off low-pressure system over the Easter weekend triggered floods that killed at least 85 people and caused more than R1 billion in damage, with mudslides and infrastructure collapse affecting large parts of Durban.
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The province was again devastated during the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods, when a slow-moving storm system led to widespread destruction along the coast. More than 440 people died, thousands were displaced, and key infrastructure including major transport routes such as the N2 was severely damaged.
The department said these past disasters continue to inform current preparedness efforts, with closer coordination between government departments and the South African Weather Service to monitor changing conditions.
It said it would continue to track weather developments throughout the holiday period and provide updates should risks escalate.