Winter Weather & Livestock Impacts: South Africa’s Weather Service issued an Orange Level 6 snow warning for disruptive snow over the Drakensberg and parts of the Eastern Cape, with snow also possible in high areas including Lesotho, plus a Yellow Level 2 disruptive rain alert for southern KwaZulu-Natal where flooding could hit roads and settlements. Climate-Smart Food Security: Humanitarian groups, during King Letsie III’s visit to climate-smart farming in Kenya, urged a shift from emergency food aid to long-term investments that help communities adapt to climate change through better soil, seedlings and farming practices. Water & Basin Resilience: Namibia warned ORASECOM partners in the Orange-Senqu River Basin—including Lesotho— to strengthen climate adaptation and planning as El Niño could mean below-average rainfall and hotter conditions, worsening water shortages. Conservation & Pollution Risk: Cape vultures were released back into the Southern Drakensberg after recovering from lead poisoning, highlighting ongoing threats from lead pollution and other hazards. Lesotho’s Green Initiative: The 40th anniversary of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was marked with a tree-planting drive at Ha Molapo to restore the landscape and boost climate resilience. Major Investment for Power & Data: Lesotho secured approval for the Kobong Project, a US$6.2bn hydropower and AI data centre plan aimed at moving from electricity imports to exports while building local skills.