Unusually heavy snowfall wreaked havoc on South Africa's roads on Saturday, leaving many motorists stranded overnight, with some still stuck by midday. Major highways, including the N3, which connects Johannesburg to Durban on the east coast, were severely impacted, with several sections closed and even alternative routes becoming impassable, according to officials.
Emergency crews worked through the night to reach those trapped in their vehicles, though the number of people affected and their conditions remained unclear, Thania Dhoogra, operations manager for N3 Toll Concession, told ENCA. "Emergency services have been working nonstop, trying to assist as many stranded road users as possible," Dhoogra said.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government reported that blankets and food had been distributed to some of the stranded motorists. Simon Zwane, a spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation, told AFP that trucks had been stuck on roadsides since Friday, while buses traveling between provinces were delayed at fuel stations for over seven hours.
One motorist, Muhammad Goolam, shared his ordeal with Newzroom Afrika, saying he had been stranded for over 13 hours near Harrismith, about 270 kilometers southeast of Johannesburg. "Food supplies are running out, and we can't see ourselves getting out of here without help from emergency services," he said.
Some areas reportedly received up to two meters (six feet) of snow, according to the Arrive Alive road safety campaign on X (formerly Twitter). As a precaution, South Africa's Border Management Authority temporarily closed three border posts with Lesotho, citing the severe conditions as a significant safety risk.
With more snow expected, the South African Weather Service issued orange-level warnings for several parts of the country. Forecaster Luthando Masimini described the snowfall as an "extreme case."
Despite the treacherous conditions, some were drawn to the rare spectacle of snow in South Africa. Justin Nadasem Baker, who drove three hours from Johannesburg with his family to Warden, about 50 kilometers from Harrismith, expressed excitement at the rare opportunity. "It's been many years since we’ve seen snow," he told AFP.
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