Eastern Cape floods prompt national disaster declaration as death toll surpasses 100

The Eastern Cape province is reeling from the aftermath of devastating floods that have claimed the lives of more than 100 individuals and resulted in damage estimated at billions of rand.

The national disaster declaration was announced by Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams on Thursday, following floods earlier this month.

Williams said following a comprehensive assessment, the South African government has officially declared a national disaster in response to this widespread destruction caused by the severe weather.

While the death toll is expected to increase, Williams said as of June 26, 101 people were confirmed to have died as a result of the floods.

The youngest victim, an infant of approximately 12 months, was recovered in Mthatha, while the search for two missing children continues. “Ninety-four have been identified and handed over to their families. Processes are still ongoing to identify the remaining seven bodies.”

Of the deceased, 38 are children, and 32 have been identified as pupils, he said.

Williams said due to the time that has passed since the start of the disaster, DNA tests may be required to positively identify bodies found decomposed, thus implying that it may take longer to identify the deceased.

The MEC said the province is still busy with the first phase of disaster relief, with the immediate response and humanitarian relief.

According to Williams, response systems and mechanisms have been activated, and the department has partnered with humanitarian organisations like Gift of the Givers and Al-Imdaad Foundation, as well as private sector entities such as Old Mutual, MTN, Vodacom, local businesses, and supermarkets.

He said that through these collaborations, relief support continues to reach communities whose homes and belongings were destroyed by the floods.

The Department of Education has started replacing pupil and teacher support materials lost or destroyed in the disaster and providing uniforms to those affected, Williams said.

The MEC said that despite the devastation, progress has been made in restoring services.

“The electricity supply has been restored to over 80% of affected customers, with over 95% of the water supply having been restored in OR Tambo and Amathole district municipalities, which were the most affected districts,” said Williams.

He noted that the floods also caused significant damage to both economic and social infrastructure, including roads, schools, healthcare facilities, and livestock.

“The estimated cost of repairing the damaged infrastructure is R5.1 billion, with approximately R3.2 billion allocated to various sector departments and R1.8 billion for municipal infrastructure, according to the MISA assessment.”

Regarding road infrastructure, he indicated that the estimated repair costs amount to R935 million, with R102 million allocated from the Department of Transport's budget.

The MEC said a total of 6,869 households have been affected, of which 4,724 people have been left homeless across the province, except for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality.

“While 2,145 homes were partially damaged, about R461 million is required for temporary residential units,” Williams said, adding that the province has allocated an amount of R120 million in this regard.

He said the Department of Human Settlements, in partnership with the OR Tambo District Municipality, has successfully activated mass care shelters, including bed and breakfast facilities and community halls, to provide immediate housing for displaced families in OR Tambo and Inxuba.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster Andre Fourie confirmed that rain showers will begin to taper off by Sunday before bringing additional rainfall mid-week.

As of Friday and Saturday, Fourie said Cape Town is anticipating a 60% chance of showers, along with a yellow level one warning indicating a minor impact with a medium likelihood of occurrence.

He said over the weekend, the rain is expected to diminish significantly, with only a 30% chance of showers along the southern coast of the Western Cape, extending as far as Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape.

Fourie predicted a dry day across the nation on Monday, providing a much-needed respite.

Looking ahead, he stated that a new cold front is anticipated to approach the Western Cape by Tuesday. Rainfall is expected to return to both the Western and Eastern Cape on Wednesday, with a low-pressure system predicted to influence South Africa's weather on Thursday. This could lead to showers across the western parts of the Free State and North West provinces as well.

By Thursday evening moving into Friday morning, the rain is expected to drift eastward, potentially impacting KwaZulu-Natal, though the current models suggest that significant rainfall for this province remains unlikely, he said.

Meanwhile, Fourie said snow may make an appearance in the high-lying areas of Lesotho by Thursday evening, although South Africa itself is not expected to receive any snowfall.

karen.singh@inl.co.za