The Eastern Cape is in the grip of a catastrophic flood disaster, with the death toll soaring to 49 as confirmed by police officials on Wednesday afternoon. The province has been battered by an extreme cold front, bringing torrential rain, strong winds, and disruptive snowfall since Monday, leaving a trail of destruction and despair in its wake.
The tragedy includes the heartbreaking loss of young lives, with six high school students among the deceased. These pupils were tragically swept away when their school bus was caught in floodwaters near a river on Tuesday. Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, in a statement to journalists, confirmed the devastating news, adding that four other students remain missing, fueling fears that the death toll could still rise. "As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered," Mabuyane said, painting a grim picture of the ongoing search and recovery efforts.
The disaster has prompted the activation of emergency response teams in both the Eastern Cape and neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal province, as authorities scramble to provide critical support to communities grappling with the unprecedented weather conditions. Power outages have affected hundreds of thousands of homes, further compounding the challenges faced by residents.
The province's infrastructure has been severely impacted, with houses submerged or destroyed and vehicles carried away by the relentless floodwaters. The Eastern Cape government has established disaster management teams across the province to coordinate the response to the crisis. However, Premier Mabuyane recently acknowledged critical resource shortages that continue to compromise emergency response capabilities in the disaster-prone region.
Speaking to the SABC on Wednesday, Mabuyane addressed the province’s emergency response limitations, highlighting the lack of specialised resources in the eastern regions. “It’s a question that we’ve been reporting every time we experience disasters, and we now know, at least for the last two years or so, that we are a disaster-prone province. The area that is under-resourced is the eastern part of the province,” Mabuyane said.
The premier emphasised the critical need for localised emergency services, particularly diving units and helicopter stations. “We said you can’t save Eastern Cape with one helicopter that is in Port Elizabeth or Kabeha. Because when the weather is bad, that helicopter cannot move out of Kabeha. So you need a helicopter station in Mtata. You need more resources. You need K9 Unit station in Mtata because this area covers the bigger part of the population of the province,” he explained. The resource constraints have created dangerous delays in emergency response times. “Because when things like this happen, we are always found wanting, we are paralysed… We are calling everybody around and resources where they reside cannot easily move into this side,” Mabuyane said.
The tragedy involving the schoolchildren unfolded on Tuesday morning when their bus was swept away while crossing a bridge on the way to school in Mthatha. Three children were rescued after spending hours clinging to trees in the rising waters. However, the grim discovery of the minibus taxi on a riverbank, with the bodies of the missing pupils and their driver, has plunged the province into mourning.
Xolile Nqatha, the MEC for transport in the province, confirmed the devastating news. “We were estimating that about 10 people were left in the bus as three were rescued. It is a sad thing, and the search is still ongoing,” Nqatha said. He urged caution, stating, “We urge people to be careful. When the bridge is already submerged in water, do not drive over it. Unfortunately, the driver continued to drive, and the engine switched off. That was when the water swept the minibus away.” Nqatha offered his heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane visited the scene to witness the ongoing rescue efforts and to meet with affected communities. He confirmed that four of the victims have been positively identified, including the scholar transport driver and his conductor. Speaking to SABC News, Premier Mabuyane detailed the extent of the tragedy. “The community and people who are working on the ground have identified four that would have been part of the bus that was actually swept away. We have identified the driver and the conductor. We are estimating about 15 people who would have been in the bus. That includes the two adults,” he said. “Three were rescued alive yesterday, so we are now working on the assumption that 10 are still unaccounted for. Of those, four have been identified. So we’re still looking at about six missing, if those figures are correct.”
The search and recovery operations are continuing across all affected areas, particularly within the OR Tambo District Municipality. Rescue efforts remain focused on Decoligny Village in Mthatha and the Tsolo area near the Bedlana River. Aerial surveillance and aquatic search teams, including divers, are meticulously combing the flood-hit zones. “We are on the ground to make sure we verify these facts ourselves and ensure we are able to account to the people of South Africa and the people of the Eastern Cape,” Mabuyane said. “It’s bad. It is terrible. The water level was almost two and a half to three meters high, flowing over the rooftops of big houses.”
The MEC for Education in the province, Fundile Gade, says schooling for more than 6 000 learners has been impacted by the devastating storm. Up to this point, at least 58 schools have been damaged, with the OR Tambo coastal area, Amathole east and Alfred Nzo west being the most affected. “Some of those schools are not usable in terms of the classes that could have been damaged and you need an alternative way out of that and we are currently engaged in exams. Fortunately for us as a province, we chose what you call controlled examinations systems from DBE, that option, which gives you an alternative when you have a crisis,” Gade said.
Power restoration efforts are underway, with Eskom having made significant progress in restoring electricity to affected areas. However, significant challenges remain, with 164,000 customers still without power across multiple areas, including Qumbu, Matatiele, Mthatha, Ntabankulu, Bizana, Mqanduli, and Willowvale. Eskom has urged patience from affected customers while restoration efforts continue.
Premier Mabuyane has issued urgent safety advisories to residents, urging extreme caution and avoiding non-essential travel, particularly through flood-prone and mountainous areas. “Our disaster teams are on high alert and ready to respond wherever assistance is needed. We urge the public to stay cautious and prioritise safety above all else. Government is fully mobilised, coordinating closely with local municipalities and emergency services to manage the impact of the weather system and support those affected,” Mabuyane said.
The premier also called on citizens to report hazards immediately, including downed power lines and road accidents, to the nearest authorities.
As recovery efforts continue, Mabuyane expressed condolences to families affected by the disaster. “I want to take the opportunity to convey our very heartfelt condolences to families. Now we have identified bodies, families have lost their loved ones, families have lost their kids; it’s a fact. So we want to reach out, and we’re here to pledge solidarity, we’re here to comfort, we’re here to support rescue teams, we’re here to identify more and assist where we can assist. Government will do everything in our power to make sure that we mitigate these disastrous effects,” he said.
The provincial government emphasised that its primary objective is to safeguard lives and infrastructure during this extreme weather event. “Community members are advised to remain alert, monitor official updates, and strictly follow safety directives,” it warned.
The Eastern Cape faces a long and arduous recovery process. The government has pledged its full support to the affected communities, but the scale of the devastation underscores the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness and resource allocation in this disaster-prone region. The focus now shifts to providing immediate relief to those who have lost their homes and loved ones, and to laying the foundation for a resilient recovery that will better protect the province from future extreme weather events.
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