MEC Zolile Williams: Disaster management response and recovery

Members of the Executive Council,
Executive Mayors,
Senior Government Officials
Members of the media
Good Day,

We gather here today, as the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, to provide an update on one of the toughest and most emotionally challenging work that we have ever had to undertake in our lifetime. It has now been 36 days since the devastating floods claimed 103 lives and left thousands of people homeless under a dark cloud of tragedy that befallen our province.

The events of 9 to 10 June 2025 brought destruction across all corners of our province, with the OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities bearing the brunt, and some parts of Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani District, Joe Gqabi and Sarah Baartman Municipalities also affected.

The impact of the disaster included loss of lives, significant infrastructure damage, displaced families, livestock losses, learners missing examinations, disruption of basic services such as water and electricity, disrupted access to healthcare, amongst others.

As the Provincial Government, we carry the responsibility of responding with compassion, speed, and unwavering commitment to the people of our province. The pain we have witnessed for over a month now is beyond description. Families have lost not only their homes but their loved ones. As we stand here, we must acknowledge the lives of the people we have lost during the disaster, among them are 40 innocent children including infants, who were full of dreams and hopes. We continue to grieve with their fami
lies and communities, and we will honour them not only in memory, but in action.

The disaster, characterised by severe flooding, was officially classified as a national disaster, enabling all three spheres of government to respond in line with their sectoral mandates – under the guidance of the National Disaster Management Center.

Update on the deceased and burial support
The total number of people who lost their lives in this tragic weather event remains at one hundred and three (103). One hundred (100) of them have been positively identified and have been laid to rest with dignity. One child is still missing, and the rescue teams are still searching.

Three (3) bodies remain unclaimed, two of which have not been positively identified through the national population register. The deceased include five government employees, one educator and two nurses, as well as two firefighters from the Department of Transport.

We cannot stop expressing our deepest condolences to all bereaved families. We also urge those who are still searching for missing loved ones in the affected areas to come forward. Your information is vital to help rescue teams determine if any individuals are still unaccounted for and to continue their search efforts.

Regarding the burial processes, a coordinated task team was established to work closely with bereaved families for proper coordination of burial services support for all the deceased. Government burial support was provided ranging from death registrations with Home Affairs, SASSA and the Department of Education’s funeral support funding to families of deceased learners, distribution of groceries to needy families, provision of burial services by AVBOB as per need of the affected families. Provision of Social Relief of Distress to disaster survivors and families of the deceased has also been coordinated.

Immediate Humanitarian Support
More than 6 869 households across our province were affected by the disaster. Of these, 4 724 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter whilst 2 145 homes were partially damaged.

In a coordinated response led by the Departments of Social Development, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Health, and Education alongside non-governmental organisations such as Al Imdaad, Gift of the Givers provided support to the affected families and individuals. Beneficiaries were issued SASSA food vouchers to alleviate immediate food insecurity.

To date, more than 1,353 displaced individuals have been accommodated across Mass Care Centres and 122 in Temporary Emergency Accommodation, prioritsing the most vulnerable groups, with full access to healthcare, food, sanitation, dignity packs, mattresses, blankets, and school uniforms. Numbers at Mass Care Centres are decreasing as people either seek shelter with their relatives or go back to their houses as they become habitable.

Additionally, over 2900 beneficiaries have received psychosocial support and dignity services through mobile teams and social workers deployed across the hardest-hit areas. The Department of Home Affairs has been on hand, assisting affected individuals to rebuild their lives. As such, a total of 1197 Smart ID card applications were received and are currently being processed. While 103 birth certificate applications were finalised, with 22 certificates already collected by applicants. Sadly, 100 deaths certificates were also registered and issued.

Impact of the floods on socio-economic infrastructure
Technical teams have now concluded the assessment and verification of damage to infrastructure. As previously reported, the cost of this disaster is estimated at over R5 billion. A total of 63 public health facilities have been verified to have been affected by the disaster at varying degrees, repairs will cost approximately R88 million, and immediate repairs have commenced in some of the affected heath facilities and primary healthcare has continued to reach the most affected communities.

The loss to education has been staggering. Two hundred and twenty-nine (229) schools were damaged, affecting nearly 50,000 learners. Of the number of schools damaged, only one school was destroyed. The estimated total cost for repairs across all affected schools is over R437 million.

In addition to infrastructure damage, many learners lost uniforms and study materials, and some were unable to sit for scheduled mid-year examinations. The replacement of damaged stationery to affected 727 learners has been concluded. All the 12 330 learners who missed examinations due to the disaster have since written their examinations. The delivery of uniforms to the affected 731 learners will be finalised by the end of July 2025.

In preparation for schools re-opening next week, we have identified 90 leaners in Mquma who will be moving to New Rest and the Department of Education has submitted the list of learners that will require scholar transport provision. Processes are underway to ensure that we fully understand the needs of each learner who is either staying at a Mass Care Center or a TEA to ensure that they are adequately accommodated their learning needs.

Our roads and bridges were among the most affected infrastructure. Damage to 146 roads and 63 bridges has made access to many communities extremely difficult. Repair works continue, with the number of inaccessible roads having decreased to 42. Agricultural losses have deeply impacted rural livelihoods, with damages amounting to over R30 million. We are working with affected farmers to provide input support and restore production where possible.

As previously reported, damages extended to municipal infrastructure and costs of refurbishment are estimated at R1.89 billion which includes roads, bridges, water treatment plants, sanitation works, housing, electricity, waste infrastructure, and sports facilities have been heavily impacted.

Water and sanitation infrastructure was hit hard, particularly in O.R. Tambo and Amathole Districts. The Thornhill Water Treatment Works, a critical facility serving Mthatha, was damaged but has since been restored with the support of engineers from the Department of Water and Sanitation and Amatola Water.

The same level of urgency is being applied to damaged plants in Coffee Bay, Libode, and Port St Johns. Services have mostly been restored in all municipalities except three water infrastructure facilities, that is, Coffee Bay, Mhlanga and Mdlankala Water Treatment Plants. Reprioritisation of budgets has been done in affected Provincial Departments, whilst this continues at municipal level. The O.R. Tambo District Municipality has concluded the process. 

The Department of Transport has already reprioritised over R100 million, but we are still facing a funding shortfall of more than R800 million to repair transport infrastructure alone. 

Resettlement of displaced families
As we move to the second phase of our intervention, government through the Department of Human Settlements has since reprioritised R120 million to provide Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) for the most vulnerable families. However, the scale of need remains significant. We require R461 million for TRUs and R1.7 billion to provide permanent housing solutions. The number of TRUs required is 4,724, with only 1,230 funded at this stage, 350 for Amathole, 182 for Alfred Nzo, 34 for Buffalo City Metro, 11 for Chris Hani, 51 for Joe Gqabi and 600 for OR Tambo. Government is working hard to address the budget shortfall, and we continue to mobilise our partners for support in this area.

Mnquma Local Municipality has identified land at New Rest where 350 temporary residential units (TRUs) will be erected to accommodate victims of this disaster. Similarly, King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality has identified a piece of land at Maydene Farms the construction of 345 TRUs, with further efforts underway to identify additional suitable land parcels to expand this support and provide permanent human settlement solutions.

The Department of Human Settlements stands ready to start the erection of TRUs, however we have experienced delays due to community resistance to accommodate victims of floods in both municipalities despite social facilitation efforts. It is regrettable that the municipality has had to resort to courts of law to seek recourse, whereas every citizen has a right to shelter, and government is empowered to fulfil its obligation towards this right. 

In Mnquma LM, we have now started with site preparation, and we expect the erection of TRUs to start over the weekend. In the KSD Municipality, we will continue with social facilitation to tackle these challenges, to the extent that it is necessary.

This resistance poses a real threat to the timely rollout of the provincial government’s resettlement plan. We urge all community members to allow government efforts to proceed uninterrupted, so that homeless families can be relocated to safe, appropriate land without delay. We must, in all that we do ensure that families start rebuilding their lives and they do not through our direct or indirect actions suffer secondary trauma.

Recovery and Resilience
While challenges remain, recovery plans are well underway and include a multi-pronged approach to rebuilding and improving our resilience. Infrastructure reconstruction will be prioritised and aligned with risk reduction principles, ensuring greater resilience against future disasters. For the next two-three months, it is critical for government to have made strides in the implementation of infrastructure repair projects.

The provincial government is also intensifying climate resilience planning and strengthening institutional capacity, including the debriefing and support of frontline responders, to ensure readiness and sustainability in future disaster responses. To this end, we are in engagement with potential partners to build this much needed capacity.

While we support the victims of this disaster to rebuild their lives, it is equally important that we continue debriefing of teams that are involved in our response and recovery project. We remain indebted to these teams for the work they are doing.

Community solidarity and social partnership
During this period, we have been humbled by the compassion shown by our social partners, faith-based organisations, private sector donors, NPOs, NGOs, and ordinary citizens who came together in an extraordinary display of humanity. Their efforts do not go unnoticed. We are grateful for the support pledged by institutions such as the Development Bank of South Africa, the South African Revenue Services (SARS), Local Government Sector Education Training Authority (LGSETA) as well as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). This support will ramp up our response efforts, including the provision of shelter, clothing and other home necessities and overall, the improvement of our disaster management response plans.

In the midst of this tragedy, we have also seen the strength of our people. From the selfless work of rescue teams to the quiet resilience of elderly women carrying their grandchildren through flooded streets, our province has shown once again that its spirit cannot be broken.

CONCLUSION
As I conclude, I want to assure the people of the Eastern Cape. We see you; we hear you, and we are with you. The road to recovery will be long, but we will walk together. As the Provincial Government, we are doing all in our power to accelerate relief, strengthen infrastructure, and build resilience against future disasters.

In closing, let us not allow the memory of those we lost to fade in silence. Let us honour them by rebuilding our province with compassion, unity, and determination. To every child who has lost a parent, to every parent who has lost a child, and to every family whose home now lies in ruin, we are committed to your recovery. Together, we will rise.
I thank you.