Government officially declares Eastern Cape a national disaster zone

The government has officially declared the Eastern Cape a national disaster zone in response to the widespread damage caused by recent severe weather.

Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Zolile Williams said the declaration, made under the Disaster Management Act (Act No. 57 of 2002), follows heavy rainfall, flooding, strong winds, and snowfall that have hit large parts of the country, with the Eastern Cape suffering the worst impact.

Displaced families

Highlighting the provincial government’s response to the June disaster, Williams said the Department of Social Development, together with private sector organisations, has provided vital psychosocial support to displaced families, grieving communities, and schools impacted by the loss of learners.

“These services, which encompass counselling and emotional debriefing, are foundational to the healing and recovery process. Given the profound impact of the incident, we recognise this journey may be prolonged for those most deeply affected,” the MEC said. 

The Department of Health has deployed on-site healthcare teams to deliver medical assistance and replace chronic medication lost in the floods for those in need.

Officials are also actively conducting assessments to identify health risks in temporary shelters.

Over 400 ID applications received

Williams reported that the Department of Home Affairs has been operating in several shelters across the Amathole and OR Tambo districts, helping families apply for essential documents such as Identity Documents (ID), and birth and death certificates.

So far, officials have submitted 478 ID replacement applications, using three mobile units deployed in each district.

Local schools have reopened, and authorities made special arrangements for learners who missed exams due to the disaster. Learners wrote the postponed examination papers on 23 June 2025.

“Through the Department of Education, we have begun to deliver Learner and Teacher Support Material lost or destroyed during the disaster. We are also ensuring that uniform sets for learners in the flood affected schools has also resumed through the Provincial Department of Education.” 

Restoration of basic services 

Despite the devastation, significant progress has been made with the restoration of water and electricity in affected areas. 

Williams said authorities have restored electricity to over 80% of affected customers and reinstated more than 95% of the water supply in the hardest-hit areas—the OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities.

However, he pointed out that the floods caused extensive damage to roads, schools, and healthcare facilities.

He estimated the cost of repairing the damaged infrastructure at R5.1 billion, with approximately R3.2 billion needed across various sector departments and R1.8 billion for municipal infrastructure, based on assessments by the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA). 

A total of 6 869 households were affected, with 4 724 people left homeless across the province, except for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, whilst 2 145 homes were partially damaged.

“R461 million is required for Temporary Residential Units (TRUs), however, the province has R120 million rand, and we are looking to national government for an intervention in this area,” Williams said.

Housing support and temporary shelters

The Department of Human Settlements, in partnership with OR Tambo District Municipality, has activated mass-care shelters, including community halls and bed-and-breakfast facilities for displaced families in OR Tambo and Mnquma. 

Williams said these arrangements will be operational for at least 30 days.

“The Provincial Government is (also) securing land to facilitate the delivery of Temporary Residential Units and permanent housing, ensuring that our response addresses both urgent needs and long-term stability for these vulnerable communities. 

“Currently, land has been identified in Mnquma for approximately 1 100 temporary residential units, while in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, land has been identified and we await a council resolution on the matter,” the MEC said.

The floods severely damaged road infrastructure, with total repair costs estimated at R935 million. The Department of Transport has reprioritised R102 million from its existing budget, but still faces a shortfall of R832 million.

While emergency road clearance is ongoing, 29 roads in the Chris Hani District and 22 in the OR Tambo District remain impassable. Internal teams began major repair work on 23 June 2025, and traffic is currently using alternative routes.

The floods also affected 431 schools and 69 healthcare centres across the province. Authorities have already completed R600,000 worth of repairs on damaged health facilities.

In the agricultural sector, interventions have been made in terms damage assessment, provision of veterinary services and technical advice.

“In the main, farmers have lost 1 339 units of livestock, 1 803 hectares of crops have been destroyed, suffered damages to machinery, irrigation material such as pipes and risers, water tanks and fencing materials,” Williams said.