Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba says the provincial government has set aside R800m to kick-start recovery efforts after widespread destruction caused by recent floods as officials wait for further support from national government.
Ramathuba was speaking at a press briefing on festive season traffic statistics and the state of disaster in the province, where she revealed that preliminary assessments show Limpopo may need close to R10-billion for comprehensive recovery initiatives.
Ramathuba warned that the scale of damage to the province’s road network far exceeds the capacity of provincial and municipal resources, with at least R1.7bn required to repair 439 damaged roads spanning more than 600km.
The funding announcement comes after head of the National Disaster Management Centre Dr Elias Sithole declared a national disaster in Limpopo two weeks ago following severe weather that led to flooding and loss of life.
“Since December 2025, we have experienced tragic losses, with 27 fatalities reported thus far, alongside approximately 3,194 houses affected and around 439 roads rendered unusable,” Ramathuba said.
Flooding has affected communities across the Vhembe, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Waterberg and Capricorn districts, leaving many areas isolated and causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure.
It is clear to us that Limpopo requires a comprehensive overhaul to restore normalcy to the lives of our residents. We welcome the national declaration of these floods as a disaster, which has enabled access to much-needed assistance from national departments
— Phophi Ramathuba, Limpopo premier
“Recent adverse weather conditions have resulted in substantial implications for planned public events. Our government, in collaboration with disaster management teams and relevant stakeholders, is actively assessing and responding to the needs of affected communities,” she said.
Ramathuba said the provincial government’s immediate priority is the safety and well-being of residents, which includes damage assessments, relief interventions and the urgent restoration of essential services.
“Over the past weeks, members of the executive council, including myself, have visited several flood-affected areas. Just yesterday, we were in Blouberg, Old Longsine and Inveran, where the #DikgerekgereWednesdays team had begun restoring access roads and re-gravelling sections that were previously inaccessible.
“Whilst there, we also mourned the loss of five lives since the onset of the rains in December, and many households have been displaced.”
The premier revealed that the crisis has also severely affected major transport routes, including the R521 highway between Polokwane and Mogwadi (Dendron).
“The R521 now reflects the severe impact of the rains, riddled with hazardous potholes.”
The province is working closely with the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) to fast-track repairs on critical routes, she said.
“It is clear to us that Limpopo requires a comprehensive overhaul to restore normalcy to the lives of our residents. We welcome the national declaration of these floods as a disaster, which has enabled access to much-needed assistance from national departments.”
Several national departments have already begun processes to support the province’s recovery efforts, she added.
“We remain hopeful that we will successfully rebuild Limpopo from this disaster with the resources we are beginning to mobilise, while we await further intervention from the National Disaster Management Centre.”
TimesLIVE
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