Lightning claims third life in Harry Gwala amid ongoing storms

Lightning strikes have claimed a third life in the Harry Gwala District since Saturday — the latest being a 66-year-old woman. Shonaphi Phikisile Mhlongo was on Tuesday in the Springvale area, Ward 9, near Ixopo, within the Johannes Phungula Local Municipality. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, expressed condolences to her family the following day.

Mhlongo succumbed to injuries sustained during the strike, bringing the district’s lightning-related death toll to three in four days. Her death follows two other lightning fatalities recorded on Saturday, 7 February 2026: The news comes after a weekend of violent level 5 storms that triggered disaster response efforts in the Harry Gwala and uMgungundlovu districts. On Friday, a man from Ward 15 in Mzimkhulu was struck and killed by lightning while at work.

In Ward 12, three other people were injured in separate lightning incidents. The storms have caused significant damage across Harry Gwala and uMgungundlovu districts, affecting more than 126 households and over 460 people. To date, 39 homes have been destroyed, while several others have been declared unsafe.