• The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has dedicated teams are on standby should predicted snowfall this weekend result in any issues.
• The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has predicted now over the high lying areas of the Western Cape, which is expected to spread along the coastline.
• The heavy snowfall claimed the life of a 39-year old woman last weekend.

Following last weekend’s snowfall in certain regions of the country, provincial governments are taken measures to be better prepared should more issues result from predicted snowfall this coming weekend.

To that end, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government announced that dedicated teams will be on standby as there is a possibility of snow. More specifically the South African Weather Service (SAWS) noted that snow is expected on high lying areas in the Western Cape on 29th September, which could spread to parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal early next week.

KwaZulu-Natal officials will be on high alert should any snowfall land in the province, as this past weekend saw a fatality as a 39-year-old woman died on while trapped in a blizzard on the N3 between Van Reenen’s Pass.

In terms of measures and preparations being made, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, said that the Road Incident Management Systems (RIMS) and South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) will be putting together a consolidated plan.

“They are identifying areas where joint operations and coordination will be established – covering all notorious roads and areas identified from past experiences. The department’s Road Traffic Inspectorate is establishing a satellite centre on top of Van Reenen’s Pass to ensure quick action and road closure to mitigate against people getting trapped in the snow,” the MEC explained.

Duma added that traffic law enforcement officials are already being posted in key areas along major routes for this weekend.

“The focus is on the N3 between Harrismith, Tugela Toll, R617 between Kokstad and Underberg, N2 Ingeli and N3 Mooi River, and others. We wish to indicate that the team will also be responsible for escorting trucks and vehicles to ensure that there is no congestion on the road,” said Duma.

“Motor graders are currently being sharpened to respond with urgency to remove any snow before accumulating on the road. More than 10 graders will be stationed in identified routes to ensure that our response is faster,” they continued.

While it remains to be seen whether KwaZulu-Natal will indeed be hit by adverse weather this weekend, the MEC is taking no chances and advising that those who had plans to travel, change them.

“Members of the public and motorists are urged to reschedule or postpone their journeys in anticipation of any eventuality. Prevention is better than cure,” they concluded.

[Image – Photo by Aditya Vyas on Unsplash]