Gift of the Givers has come to the assistance of residents in the Northern Cape after severe hailstorms left a trail of destruction.
The non-governmental organisation said it activated its teams following requests for assistance from the Northern Cape provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), including the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality disaster management teams and the Dawid Kruiper Municipality, in response to recent hailstorms.
Storm damage
“The storms have affected the areas of Karos, Leerkrantz and Lambrechtsdrift, resulting in damage and increased vulnerability among affected communities,” said Gift of the Givers spokesperson, Ali Sablay.
“In addition, a separate request for assistance has been received from the Kuruman Disaster Management Centre following flooding incidents that have impacted several homes in the Joe Morolong informal settlement, under the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality.”
Sablay said humanitarian aid distribution to affected families in both districts will commence on Thursday.
“Gift of the Givers has responded to multiple disasters in these regions over the past few years.”
More bad weather
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned that a cut-off low (COL) is currently situated to the west of the country and is expected to make landfall over the western interior of South Africa.
According to the weather service, the COL is expected to make landfall on Thursday morning, 30 April 2026.
Warning
Saws spokesperson Muneiwa Singo said this system is expected to bring scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers over the northern parts of the North West and Northern Cape, before spreading to the rest of the central interior.
“These storms will be associated with strong, damaging winds, hail and heavy downpours, which may lead to localised flooding and damage to susceptible formal and informal settlements, as well as critical infrastructure,” Singo said.
As a result, the weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms over the northern half of the Northern Cape, as well as the central and western parts of the North West and the northern Free State.
