Eastern Cape Floods: Death Toll Climbs to 78, Minister Hlabisa Addresses Crisis

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Eastern Cape Floods

On Thursday night, 12 June 2025, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed during an interview with SABC News that the death toll from the devastating floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province had risen from 67 to 78. The floods, triggered by torrential rains and freezing temperatures that began on Monday, 9 June, have caused widespread destruction, including major flooding and landslides that submerged homes and disrupted essential services.

Rising Death Toll and Identification Challenges

Minister Hlabisa reported that only 21 of the 78 bodies recovered so far have been identified. He described the situation as “a crisis, a real disaster,” noting that as floodwaters recede, more victims are likely to be discovered. “The more water subsides, the more people will be found,” he warned. The identification process is proving difficult, particularly for individuals who lived alone, as there may be no immediate family to confirm their identities. Hlabisa explained, “It’s going to be a task to do the identification, as some people who are staying alone there will have no one to identify except a person who will be the neighbour.” To address this, he urged communities to report missing persons, stating, “If there is someone you have not seen for the past two days, report that person as a missing person.”

Search and Rescue Efforts

Despite the scale of the disaster, Hlabisa emphasized that search and rescue operations are well underway, with sufficient personnel deployed to the affected areas. “What is comforting is that we have sufficient people who are doing the search and rescue in terms of police, in terms of other organisations that are specialised in this work,” he said. Teams remain active, working to locate missing individuals and recover bodies amidst challenging conditions, including mud and debris left by the floods. Images from the scene depict rescuers wading through flooded areas, with homes completely underwater, highlighting the intensity of the ongoing efforts.

Impact on Communities and Infrastructure

The floods have displaced hundreds of residents, forcing them into community shelters, while power and water supplies have been severely disrupted. The heavy rains and landslides have particularly affected homes built in floodplains and along riverbanks, many of which were washed away or heavily damaged. Hlabisa noted, “The infrastructure, the houses in the floodplains, were the ones that were washed away or affected.” This has left families without shelter and basic necessities, compounding the human toll of the disaster.

Government Response and Call for Relocation

Minister Hlabisa stressed the need for proactive measures to prevent future loss of life, urging residents to relocate from flood-prone areas. “We must persuade our people that it is better to save lives than to come and intervene when many people have died,” he said. During his visits to four centres housing displaced residents, he reported that those affected agreed to be relocated from the floodplains. However, he acknowledged the complexity of the issue, pointing out that many of these homes were built without municipal approval. “These people were not allocated here by the municipalities, who should have considered the area where they are allocating people, and people decided to build on their own,” he explained.
Hlabisa called for a “countrywide decision” to address the systemic challenge of people living in high-risk zones, emphasizing that municipalities and the government must take a firmer stance on land use planning and enforcement. He linked the disaster to broader environmental concerns, stating, “We will need the cooperation of our people because climate change is a reality. Next week, we might experience similar floods in the same area, and we might lose more people.”

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