Impendle snow crisis: teams respond to residents in distress
Updated Aug. 10, 2026, 1:30 p.m. | By Newswatch KZN Human Settlements has deployed teams to work with roving response units assisting affected communities.…
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Updated Aug. 10, 2026, 1:30 p.m. | By Newswatch
KZN Human Settlements has deployed teams to work with roving response units assisting affected communities.
KZN Human Settlements has assigned a team to assist communities in Impendle Local Municipality where snow continues to blanket the area.
A cold snap has led to icy temperatures in several regions in KZN, leading to heavy snow and rainfall.
It's led to the complete closure of the R617 between Swatrburg and Undeberg, where traffic is being diverted to the R56.
Authorities have warned that heavy snowfall has rendered the entire passage impassable due to severe road icing and near-zero visibility.
The South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level two warning for disruptive snow for south-western KZN on Monday and Tuesday, resulting in isolated loss of vulnerable livestock and crops. It’s warned that icy roads and snow-covered mountain passes could also disrupt travel.
“We have also received reports from our RTI team in Mpendle. There are communities in distress. Our team from human settlements is working with various roving teams across areas that have been affected” says KZN Human Settlements spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya.
He's urged residents to remain indoors.
“It is prohibited to move up and down in areas that have been affected by the snowfall. The MEC is continuously receiving reports. We have our graders already moving in, removing snow before it could accumulate to more than 30 centimetres in depth as part of the execution of the snowfall response plan.”
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has also urged motorists to exercise extreme caution.
Provincial disaster management teams say several key routes are currently affected by hazardous weather conditions.
The latest road status is as follows:
R617 – Underberg to Swartberg/Kokstad via Kingscourt: COMPLETELY CLOSED. Continuous heavy snowfall has made the route impassable, with severe icing and near-zero visibility reported.
R56 – Kokstad towards Matatiele: OPEN BUT WET. Persistent rainfall is creating slippery conditions, and motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution.
N2 – Kokstad towards Beestekraal: OPEN BUT SLIPPERY. The route remains passable, but rain and localized snowfall are making road surfaces dangerously slippery.
N2 – Kokstad towards the Eastern Cape/Brooksnek: OPEN BUT WET. Snowfall is continuing in the area. Although there has been no significant accumulation on the road surface, conditions remain wet and hazardous.
Motorists are being urged not to attempt to travel along the closed R617 between Underberg, Swartberg and Kokstad.
Non-essential travel should be postponed, while motorists are encouraged to use only safe and verified alternative routes.
Those travelling along the R56 and N2 are advised to reduce their speed, maintain a safe following distance, keep headlights on, and remain alert for sudden patches of ice and slipp…