The Gauteng Provincial Government is urging residents to exercise
heightened caution as severe summer weather intensifies across the
province. Persistent heavy rainfall, powerful thunderstorms, localised
flooding and fast-moving storm systems, driven by a developing La
Niña pattern, are creating hazardous conditions for many
communities.
While government disaster structures remain fully activated, residents
are warned that safety risks are escalating and strict adherence to
official alerts is now essential to preventing injuries, fatalities and
avoidable damage.
Last night, the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre
(PDMC) briefed the Local Government Turnaround Strategy weekly
meeting on the province’s state of readiness in response to the
abnormal rainfall. The session reviewed early impacts, assessed
municipal response capacity and confirmed the activation of
emergency protocols to safeguard communities as weather conditions
deteriorate.
MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Jacob
Mamabolo, said the PDMC and all municipal Disaster Management
Centres remain on full alert, with continuous monitoring of storm
activity and rapid-response teams on standby. He emphasised that
the combination of abnormal weather patterns and already saturated
ground conditions requires communities to treat every warning with
the utmost seriousness, avoid flooded areas and immediately report
hazardous situations.
“The storms we are experiencing are unpredictable and fast-moving.
We urge all residents to stay vigilant, follow official updates and avoid
any situation that may place their lives at risk,” said MEC Mamabolo.
He stressed the importance of avoiding low-lying bridges, flooded
roads and underpasses, and reducing travel during severe weather.
Communities are encouraged to report blocked drains, sinkholes,
damaged roads, burst pipes or any emerging risks so that intervention
teams can act swiftly to prevent further deterioration. “Warnings
issued by the South African Weather Service and the PDMC must be
treated as protective measures as they are designed to save lives,”
he said.
Gauteng continues to strengthen its early warning capability, ensuring
that real-time weather alerts reach residents through WhatsApp, SMS,
email and social media channels. The province’s summer readiness
plan, approved by the National Disaster Management Centre, has
introduced a uniform disaster-response system across all
municipalities to support quicker activation and more coordinated
emergency action.
MEC Mamabolo said the ongoing work across disaster preparedness,
infrastructure and community safety reflects a disciplined, province-
wide effort to stabilise municipalities and protect communities. “Our
priority is to safeguard lives during this period of abnormal weather
while continuing to strengthen service delivery across all
municipalities. Gauteng is acting with urgency and we will continue
issuing updates to keep the public informed and safe,” he said.
The Gauteng Provincial Government will continue providing regular
advisories throughout the summer and urges residents to remain alert,
follow official guidance and prioritise safety at all times.
ISSUED BY THE GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS
