kAt least 20 people have lost their lives following severe flooding that has devastated large parts of Mpumalanga, leaving thousands of residents displaced and without basic necessities.

Provincial authorities estimate that more than 1,500 homes have been damaged or destroyed, forcing families into temporary shelters or leaving them destitute. Critical infrastructure has also taken a heavy knock, with several roads and bridges washed away or rendered unsafe. Preliminary assessments place the cost of the damage at approximately R2 billion.

Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has urged residents to remain vigilant and to avoid affected areas, particularly rivers and low-lying zones where water levels remain dangerously high.

“One is one too many, so that is why we are making this call to the people of the province to avoid finding themselves in dangerous places, especially our rivers, which are flowing fast,” Ndlovu said.

The floods follow days of relentless rainfall linked to severe weather systems affecting several parts of the country. Emergency services, disaster management teams and volunteers have been deployed to assist affected communities, conduct search-and-rescue operations and provide humanitarian relief.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged national government support to assist Mpumalanga as it recovers from the disaster. On Monday, Ramaphosa visited the province to conduct oversight inspections in some of the worst-hit areas.

The President confirmed that government would adopt an “all-hands-on-deck” approach in response to weather-related disasters impacting Mpumalanga, as well as Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.

Engagements are already under way with the National Treasury following the official disaster classification of the affected regions. Ramaphosa said the scale of the damage requires urgent and coordinated intervention from all spheres of government.

“Our Minister of Finance is in Davos, but we are briefing him, and we’re going to see what intervention the government is able to make,” the President said.

While acknowledging the swift response by emergency and disaster management teams, Ramaphosa stressed that more resources and long-term solutions are needed.

“As government response has been effective, obviously, we need to do more to deal with disasters that continue to befall us,” he said.

Authorities have warned that further rainfall could worsen conditions, and residents are encouraged to heed official alerts, cooperate with emergency services and prioritise safety as recovery efforts continue