Snow Closes Key KwaZulu-Natal Route
A rare and disruptive snowfall has blanketed parts of southern KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, keeping a major provincial route closed, stranding at least one heavy vehicle and prompting authorities to ban recreational snow chasing even as families and motorists continue to gather in the affected areas.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements confirmed that the R617 between Underberg, Swartberg and Kokstad remained closed throughout the afternoon, with traffic diverted onto the R56. Graders continued working on the section between Swartberg and Evatt (Kingscote), and officials reported that the route was not yet safe to reopen. Traffic that managed to move did so only very slowly. Earlier in the day a truck became stuck in the snow near Kingscote, illustrating how rapidly road conditions deteriorated under the accumulating snow and ice.
Snow has covered a broad area of high-lying ground that includes Kokstad, Underberg, Matatiele, the Nottingham Road and Clifton district, Impendle, Bulwer and sections of the southern Drakensberg. Light snow and sleet also affected stretches of the N3 between Balgowan and Nottingham Road and further north towards Van Reenen’s Pass, where brine was being applied to combat black ice. The N2 near Kokstad and Brooks Nek turned slippery with patches of snow.
Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma activated the province’s Snowfall Response Plan early on Monday and deployed graders with the explicit goal of preventing snow from accumulating beyond 30 centimetres. He urged motorists to delay non-essential journeys and members of the public to remain indoors, emphasising that prevention is better than cure. Snow chasing (the practice of driving into snow-affected areas purely to experience or photograph the weather) has been formally prohibited because of the hazards created by ice, steep gradients and reduced visibility.
Despite the clear and repeated warnings, the novelty of the white landscape has continued to draw crowds. Video footage and on-the-ground reports show motorists and entire families, some travelling from as far as Durban, parking along roads near Impendle, Bulwer and Underberg, walking in the snow and treating the event as an impromptu outing.
The snowfall is the product of a cut-off low-pressure system combined with a cold front that has also brought disruptive snow to the Eastern Cape Drakensberg and high ground along the Lesotho border. The South African Weather Service issued warnings ranging from Yellow Level 2 for parts of western KwaZulu-Natal to Orange Level 6 for sections of the Eastern Cape, where several mountain passes including Barkly Pass and Penhoek Pass were closed.
The weather has already disrupted essential services. A clinic in Impendle lost electricity and telephone lines after heavy overnight snow. In the Howick area near Pietermaritzburg, two people died early Monday when a vehicle lost control on wet roads. CoGTA MEC Rev Thulasizwe Buthelezi called for extreme caution on the R56 and N2, noting that continuous rain and remaining snow patches continued to make surfaces treacherous.
Significant snowfall away from the highest Drakensberg peaks remains uncommon in a province whose climate is largely subtropical. When it does occur, the combination of steep roads, limited specialised clearing equipment on secondary routes and public enthusiasm for the spectacle creates elevated risk. Ice forms rapidly, visibility drops, and vehicles that are not prepared for winter conditions can become stranded, tying up emergency resources.
Provincial teams continue clearing operations while disaster management remains on high alert. Officials warn that conditions could worsen overnight and into Tuesday as the weather system persists. Motorists are advised to avoid all non-essential travel in the southern and Midlands districts, to carry emergency supplies if travel cannot be postponed, and to treat any open routes with extreme care.
