Communities have been cut off, and infrastructure collapsed in several parts of Limpopo, following devastating floods in the province this week.
Torrential rain has fallen for much of the week, leading to widespread flooding of roads and settlements, the displacement of communities, damage to property, and the loss of livelihoods.
At least nine people have died, including a five-year-old boy.
Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, criss-crossed the province’s hard-hit district of Vhembe and Mopani with President Cyril Ramaphosa this week to assess the extent of the damage.
Ramathuba said the rains have been unprecedented in their intensity, reaching up to 400 millimetres in just a few days.
Roads damaged
The following national roads were badly damaged:
- The R527 in the Hoedspruit area,
- R40 next to Maseke Game Reserve,
- R71 between Gravelotte and Phalaborwa,
- R36 between the Oaks and Ofcolaco,
- R578 (Selwana road) near Makhuva,
- R526 between R40 intersection and Gravelotte, and
- R529 from Greater Letaba bridge to Eiland road.
The R71 towards Phalaborwa has also been closed due to rain, as has the R40 around the Phalaborwa area.
The R524 from Louis Trichardt to Punda Maria Gate (via Thohoyandou) has major portions destroyed.
The district and local municipalities have reported damaged streets within their localities, which they shall include in the total costing.
The Premier said the sheer damage to roads was something even a reserve fund in the Provincial Treasury would not be able to handle, making it impossible for the province and affected municipalities to respond. She called for the national government’s intervention.
“As it is about R1.7 billion on roads. We have requested assistance from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to temporarily restore access roads. The Department of Public Works will, in areas where rain has stopped, begin reconnecting bridges, including the requested assistance from the SANDF.”
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Cost of the storms
She added that the cost of the storms was high.
“There is now over R4 billion to cover work across infrastructure. However, I must emphasise that these figures remain provisional. We anticipate worse outcomes as assessments continue amidst ongoing weather challenges. So far, the reports paint a harrowing picture.”
Ramathuba said countless families have been affected, with over 1 600 homes damaged and many washed away entirely. She said some remain submerged with water reaching alarming levels, jeopardising structural integrity”
The Premier said the impact on public facilities was equally alarming.
As of January 6, 2026, the province has documented damage to 31 schools, with this figure likely to rise.
“We have had to halt the reopening of about 1 400 schools in affected areas. And in health facilities, the province recorded a significant impact attributed to overflowing rivers, damaged bridges, and impassable roads that have restricted access to multiple healthcare facilities and affected both patient care and staff mobility.
“These were recorded in all our districts, with Vhembe having Tswinga Clinic, De Hoop Clinic, Duvhuledza Clinic and Tshipise Clinic inaccessible. The most significant single facility in Vhembe to sustain damage is the Elim hospital, where serious roof leaks have occurred, and significant damage to interior ceilings, fixtures and fittings has occurred.
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In Mopani, she said seven hospitals and 19 Clinics have infrastructure challenges caused by the floods.
“The Waterberg region had storm damage reported at the Warmbaths, Ellisras, FH Odendaal and Mokopane Hospitals. So far, no report has been obtained from the Sekhukhune district. It is worth noting that the Mutlane Clinic guardroom was destroyed by flooding.
“So far, there is R7 million estimated damage to these health facilities that we shall have to work on to get fixed.”
The DA in the province, which has also been visiting flood-affected areas, has called on MEC for public works, Tonny Rachoene, to quantify the total damage caused and provide aid to communities.
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