Heavy snowfall in S.Africa causes major disruption

Unusually heavy snowfall caused major disruption on South Africa’s roads Saturday with people still stranded at midday after spending the night stuck in their vehicles.

The key N3 highway linking Johannesburg and the east coast city of Durban was one of the worst affected and several portions were closed, with even detours impassible, officials said. Emergency services were working to reach people in their vehicles but it was still not clear how many were affected and in what condition they were.

Blankets and meals had been delivered to some stranded motorists, the government of the KwaZulu-Natal province said in a statement at midday. South Africa's Border Management Authority said it had closed three border posts with the kingdom of Lesotho as "the current conditions pose a significant danger."