Johannesburg - Wednesday was the coldest day in Gauteng so far this winter - but Joburgers must brace themselves for even colder weather.
South African Weather Service forecaster Lebogang Mashile said the lower temperatures were the result of a cold front which moved in over the whole country on Tuesday.
There were snowfalls in the Eastern Cape and Lesotho.
On Thursday the mercury plummeted to 0°C in Joburg and 3°C in Pretoria, according to the SA Weather Service website.
The minimum temperature on Wednesday, when the cold snap hit Gauteng, was 4°C.
“We experienced very cold air blowing in from the south,” Mashile said. “The cold front closed in on the high-lying areas such as the Eastern Cape on Monday, where there were reports of snow. Weather alerts have been issued in these areas and more snow and rainfall are expected.”
According to Eskom, the chilly weather had increased the demand for electricity, and maintenance had put a strain on an already strained system.
Eskom’s acting chief executive, Brian Molefe, said there would be no blackout in the country this winter. “We are happy to announce that the prospect of a blackout in South Africa is nonexistent. There is no prospect of a blackout, which represents a total system collapse,” he said.
“Even when we have load shedding, we are able to provide electricity to 96 percent of the country. What we are going to try to do now is maintenance with no load shedding.”
Molefe said that during this winter there would be a triple increase in maintenance compared to last winter. “We are making every effort to prevent plant breakdowns,” he added.
Gauteng Emergency Medical Services spokeswoman Nana Radebe said they were on high alert. “Since the temperature has dropped we are on alert for structural and shack fires. We’d like to urge people living in shacks to be careful when using candles, paraffin and gas stoves,” she said on Wednesday night.
Homeless people will be the most hit by the biting cold.
Thinus Schrage of Pen, a faith-based organisation that has three campuses offering support to the homeless, said winter was a headache as more and more people with no homes came knocking on their doors. He said the focus was on rebuilding relationships and integrating these people back into society, instead of giving them handouts.
During the winter every year, the organisation was forced to shift its focus to assisting with the “here and now” needs of homeless people. Schrage said that in this regard, the public could assist by donating blankets as there was a greater need in times like these when it was exceptionally cold.
Gauteng residents can expect some reprieve from the cold snap, with the mercury expected to rise at the weekend.
“Our minimum temperatures will drop, but temperatures will recover steadily going into the weekend, and as the cold front passes. We will see our maximum temperatures picking up slowly,” Mashile said.
The mercury was expected to improve marginally from Thursday night. While the cold snap will grip Gauteng in the mornings, residents can expect improved conditions during the day, with the maximum of 19°C expected on Friday.
The Star