A one-year-old infant is among 101 people who have died as a result of the devastating floods that ravaged the Eastern Cape two weeks ago.
The tragic news was revealed on Thursday by Zolile Williams, the Eastern Cape MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
Williams was speaking at a media briefing as part of the provincial government’s efforts to update the public on the state’s response to the floods that wreaked havoc on June 9 and 10.
According to Williams, the official number of flood victims killed as of June 26 was 101. He said only 94 bodies have been identified and handed over to their families.
According to him, necessary processes are ongoing to identify the remaining seven bodies.
The Amathole and OR Tambo district municipalities, said Williams, recorded 77 and 10 deaths from the floods, respectively.
Out of the 101 deceased people, 68 are adults and 38 are children, he said, adding that the children consist of 32 schoolchildren.
Williams stated that the search for the bodies of two children remains ongoing, adding that the floods also caused damage to road infrastructure and healthcare facilities as well as the loss of livestock.
Pupils suffered greatly due to their failure to sit for mid-year exams.
The floods destroyed 6 869 households and left 4 724 people homeless, according to Williams.
National disaster
The Eastern Cape provincial government has finalised the infrastructure damage assessments and concluded that it will cost R5.1-billion to fix and repair the damaged infrastructure.
Williams added that the government has officially declared the widespread destruction caused by the severe weather conditions a national disaster.
The province’s human settlements department, he said, has established mass care shelters, including bed and breakfast facilities and community halls, as an immediate housing solution for displaced families.
The mass care shelters will remain in place for 30 days.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the national joint flood coordination committee, as well as the interministerial committee of disaster management, have been activated and met on several occasions to assess the situation and decide on how to support the affected provinces.
Emergency shelters
Ntshavheni was speaking at the post-cabinet meeting media briefing on Thursday in parliament, Cape Town.
“The immediate priority remains to provide emergency shelter and relief materials needed by affected communities to stabilise the situation. Work also continues to restore basic services, such as water, sanitation, and electricity,” said Ntshavheni.
“This includes ensuring that those affected obtain identity documents [ID] and temporary ID certificates to access essential services.
“A reconstruction plan and an evaluation of the damage to homes and infrastructure are in progress. Once completed, it will allow for the preparation of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme.”
Warning of heavy rainfall
Ntshavheni said the weather service has warned that there is a chance of heavy rainfall with a risk of localised flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas on Wednesday into Thursday.
“Strong and gusty winds over the interior may cause localised damage to structures and uproot trees,” she warned.
“Furthermore, cold to very cold conditions can be expected, along with possible snowfall over the western mountain ranges of the Western Cape, spreading into the south-western interior of the Northern Cape.
“Strong and possibly damaging winds are expected across most parts of the Eastern Cape on Thursday, 26 June 2025, along with a drop in daytime temperatures.”
