The department believes this could be related to the weather in the province.
Authorities are searching for a light aircraft that went missing in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands on Sunday.
According to KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, the aircraft, carrying three passengers, disappeared at approximately 3 pm on Sunday.
The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) said that the aircraft departed from Virginia Airport on Sunday but failed to reach its alternate destination. It was last tracked flying over Ladysmith, heading south towards either Pietermaritzburg or Greytown.
Ayanda Msweli, the country’s leading traffic anchor, is in touch with the family of the female pilot who was in the aircraft.
“We are working with ARCC, the South African Police Service in Greytown and other key experts that will ensure the successful search and rescue operation,” said Duma on Monday.
The department believes this could be related to the weather in the province.
“Understanding severe weather patterns as forecast by the SA Weather Services, we have made a decision to assist ARCC in their search and rescue operations.”
Aircraft missing: KZN weather
On Sunday, the South African Weather Service (Saws) issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms in the province.
“Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected in the southern parts of KZN, but scattered to widespread over most parts of KZN on Monday,” warned the weather service.
“Some of these thunderstorms are expected to become severe along the south coast of KZN and over most parts on Monday. The severe thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by heavy downpours leading to localised flooding, large hail and damaging winds.”
