Siphelele Nketo
AN intense cold front has gripped parts of South Africa, bringing heavy snow, freezing cold and rain this week. The adverse weather conditions caused road disruptions along the major routes in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
On Monday, August 10, three mountain passes in the northern areas of the Eastern Cape were closed due to heavy snowfall. The R58 route between Elliot and Barkley East was affected, as well as the N6 that connects Komani and Jamestown.
In KZN, a truck that was travelling on the R617 got stuck between Kokstad and Underberg. The R617 road was temporarily closed to ensure that motorists were not trapped in the thick snow, and traffic was redirected to the R56.
As part of snowfall measures, response teams with graders were activated to clear away snow on the road. According to reports, the road was later opened to traffic.
Other routes such as the R56 between Kokstad and Matatiele experienced slippery conditions due to rain and localised patches of snowfall. The N2 road in Brooksnek also suffered wet conditions. Though the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Local Municipality welcomed a number of snow chasers who wanted the first-hand experience of snow in Underberg, Mayor Sindi Msomi encouraged travellers to follow instructions from traffic officials, emergency teams and law enforcement for safety precautions. Msomi said the area often receives an influx of tourists during snowfall, which boosts tourism and contributes towards the growth of the local economy.
Meanwhile, the severe weather conditions led to power outages in most parts of the Alfred Nzo and Joe Gqabi regions. In a statement issued by Eskom, technicians struggled to access some areas to perform repairs due to adverse weather.
Small-scale farmers in parts of Matatiele were the most affected as their livestock spent hours without eating due to thick snow that covered the grass. The chairman of the Ongeluksnek Farmers Association in Matatiele, Andile Ndzunga, highlighted the impact of snowfall on rural farmers, adding that it was a struggle to feed their livestock.
“Some farmers in rural areas lost animals that were not strong enough to survive the cold. Other farmers had to dig deep into their pockets to buy feed for livestock,” he said. The benefit of snowfall, according to Ndzunga, is that subsequent rain will assist farmers to prepare the soil for the planting season, and it will fill up empty dams.
Another farmer in Kokstad, Nozuko Cezula, said that snowfall did not cause a major impact in the farm areas of Kokstad.
