MPILETSO MOTUMI, THERESA TAYLOR AND SUNGULA NKABINDE
I t may not have been enough to build snowmen or block the road but it was definitely snow – areas to the south of the city got most of it.
At about 11am, Hassen Cassim Franchisee, of Mochachos in Mondeor, said excitedly: “It lasted about 30 minutes and it was actual snow. I posted a picture on Facebook.”
In Orlando East, Soweto, residents were confused about the weather and kept wondering if it was snow or ice, and whether or not to take an umbrella when they went out on the streets.
“It just means that it is very cold. There were reports of snow in Sasolburg earlier and seemingly it has fallen over in the south of Joburg. It’s still late winter so it is very possible,” said Jan Vermeulen, of the SA Weather Service.
He said rainfall was mainly affecting Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the south of Limpopo.
Sapa reported Vermeulen as saying that the icy conditions over most parts of South Africa were caused by low pressure cut off over the Northern Cape.
Snowfall was also expected in the western high ground of KwaZulu-Natal, the southern escarpment of Mpumalanga and in the north-eastern part of the Free State.
The low-pressure system had caused the development of thunderclouds and hail.
“As the week progresses, it will get sunnier and warmer,” Vermeulen said.
One person who would be happy to hear this is Morris Marans, who works at Ridgeway Nursery on Rifle Range Road.
“The snow messed my day up. I was not excited at all. It disturbed my work because I couldn’t water the plants.
“I had to cover them up with a green net so the snow could not damage the plants. I’ll be very happy if it goes away,” the 46-year-old said.
ER24 Joburg South emergency medical crews were kept very busy yesterday.
In the space of 30 minutes, four accidents happened – one in Meredale, two at the Kliprivier and Xavier road exits, and another at the corners of Rifle Range and Swartkoppies. One person was injured.
“It was a combination of hail, sleet and snow. The flakes could be seen as it rained and the roads were very slippery,” said ER24’s Vanessa Jackson.
“Hopefully, there won’t be any further accidents as the weather warms up.”
Snow also led to the closure of Van Reenen’s Pass for the second time in three weeks.
The section between Harrismith and Bergville was closed off in the early hours of yesterday morning after snow began falling heavily in the early hours of Sunday night.
One motorist was involved in an accident yesterday as the thick snow caused his Corsa bakkie to slide off the road.
The driver of a heavy goods truck then also lost control and slid into his bakkie.
“(We) took just over an hour to travel 30km in the slippery conditions before they arrived at the scene.
“When they got to the patient, he was still trapped in the twisted remains of his vehicle with serious injuries and signs of hypothermia,” said Netcare911 spokesman Chris Botha.
But despite the bad weather and detours, a number of trucks and cars made the trip, including one brave man on a motorcycle.
In a dark mud hut next to the N3, Anna Molefe and her children huddled around a fire, hiding from the snow.
Outside, the family dogs played and chickens pecked the frozen earth.
“The biggest problems in the snow are the bitter cold. The cows can’t graze and we can’t collect fire wood,” said Molefe.
There was no transport to school yesterday morning, but Molefe’s husband went to work on a nearby farm as usual.
A few kilometres away, Jeanine Bloem was enjoying an afternoon nap. With the electricity off and snow on the roads, there was little else to do.
“(The snow) is fun. It’s cold. But that’s all,” said Bloem, adding that they had not experienced any major problems.
However, she admitted that if the snow continued, it would affect her family’s business.
They operate tow trucks and if the roads are closed, they cannot go out on the N3 to help trucks.