EC government urges families to assist in search for flood victims

Thursday, July 17, 2025 -Edited article: The Eastern Cape Provincial Government has called on families, who are still searching for missing loved ones in the areas affected by last month’s catastrophic floods, to come forward with information to assist ongoing recovery efforts.
“Your information is vital to help rescue teams determine if any individuals are still unaccounted for and to continue their search efforts,” Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Zolile Williams, said during a media briefing on yesterday, 16 July.
Giving an update on the provincial disaster management response and recovery, Williams reported that the total number of people who lost their lives remains and found remains at 103, with 100 of them being positively identified and laid to rest with dignity. “The deceased include five government employees, one educator and two nurses, as well as two firefighters from the Department of Transport,” Williams said.
“Rescue teams are still searching. One child is still missing and three bodies remain unclaimed, two of which have not been positively identified through the national population register.” The EC Cape Provincial Government has urged families to assist it in providing vital help for rescue teams to continue their search efforts for missing people. Families who are still searching for missing loved ones in the areas affected by last month’s catastrophic floods, are asked to come forward with information to assist ongoing recovery efforts.
Relief is extended to survivors and families of the deceased through coordinated Social Relief of Distress (SRD) measures. More than 1,353 displaced people have been accommodated across mass care centres , and 122 are in temporary emergency accommodation (TEA), prioritising the most vulnerable groups, with full access to healthcare, food, sanitation, dignity packs, mattresses, blankets, and school uniforms,and issued with SASSA food vouchers.
Wililliams also revealed more than 6,869 households across the province were affected by the disaster, with 4724 homes completely destroyed and 2145 partially damaged.
Also providing relief efforts and support are the Departments of Social Development, Health, Education, and the African Social Security Agency (SASSA), along with non-governmental organisations, such as Al Imdaad and Gift of the Givers, who have provided emergency relief to the affected families and individuals.
“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. Also more than 2,900 beneficiaries have received psycho-social support and dignity services through mobile teams and social workers deployed across the hardest-hit areas,” the MEC said.
The Department of Home Affairs has mobilised to assist disaster survivors in rebuilding their lives. A total of 1,197 ID card applications have been received and are being processed, while 103 birth certificate applications have been finalised, with 22 certificates already collected by applicants. One hundred deaths certificates have also been registered and issued.
Despite challenges, the MEC confirmed that recovery plans are well underway. A key focus is on a multi-pronged approach to rebuilding and improving the province’s resilience, he said.
“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,” Williams said.
The province is also in engagement with potential partners to build the 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,” Williams said. – Info source Source: SAnews