The Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga has extended her heartfelt condolences to the family of the woman who lost her life in adverse weather conditions that hit parts of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that a woman lost her life to hypothermia due to these unprecedented weather conditions. She was a passenger in a taxi travelling from Johannesburg to KwaZulu-Natal," the Minister said in a statement on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old woman died on Saturday while trapped in the blizzard that engulfed the N3 between Van Reenen’s Pass, connecting KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.
This was confirmed by paramedic services, Midlands EMS [emergency medical services] Rescue Medics, in a statement.
According to the medical service, the Midlands EMS Howick crews, along with Midlands EMS Rescue Medics, were dispatched to a shopping centre in Merrivale for a person who had collapsed after being exposed to severe cold overnight, while in a taxi stuck in traffic in the snow.
READ | Heavy snowfall on N3 claims life of a 39-year-old woman
Chikunga commended the exemplary selflessness and solidarity shown by South Africans who came to each other's aid in what were life-threatening circumstances.
She also added that South Africa is experiencing unusual climate change related incidents, marked by an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, as well as rising mortality rates.
The severity of these events continues to disproportionately affect marginalised communities—those who often lack the resources to cope—most of whom are women and persons with disabilities.
“While this is a global phenomenon, the impact of climate change related disasters is not uniform. Recent research published by the World Bank shows that "across the globe, women and persons with disabilities experience mortality rates up to four times higher in natural disasters than those without.
“We express our condolences to those who have lost their loved ones, and we urge all South Africans to closely monitor weather reports to avoid areas projected to experience extreme weather conditions,” the Minister said.
In his address at the National Heritage Day celebrations on Tuesday, Acting President Paul Mashatile emphasised the need to recognise the growing impact of climate change on the nation's well-being and cultural heritage.
Mashatile urged citizens to be mindful of how climate change threatens both livelihoods and cultural traditions.
The Acting President expressed his honour in addressing the nation on Heritage Day but noted that celebrations were overshadowed by severe weather affecting parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Free State.
“It is a great honour and privilege to address you at this significant occasion as we celebrate our country’s Heritage Day. Unfortunately, as we were looking forward to this day, some parts of our country, which include Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Free State, were impacted by severe weather conditions, exacerbated by climate change,” he said at the celebrations held in Ficksburg, Free State.
READ | Let’s be alive to the impact of climate change – Acting President Mashatile
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) said the country is set to experience a mix of warm and cool temperatures in the coming days, with a significant drop in temperatures and even light snowfall expected later this month.
This after the weekend’s freezing temperatures and snowfall in some parts of the country caused havoc on the roads, resulting in one fatality.
READ | SA Weather Service forecasts warm week followed by light snow
-SAnews.gov.za
