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One year after the devastating floods that killed 104 people in the Eastern Cape, some survivors say they are still living in damaged homes in flood-prone areas.
The concerns emerged on Wednesday during a prayer and candlelight remembrance ceremony at the Mandela Primary School in Slovo Park, Mthatha, where families gathered to honour victims of the June 2025 disaster.
Among them was Nkosiyethu Mabhentsela, 53, whose six-room home in Ehlathini, near Slovo Park, was badly damaged when floodwaters submerged the property.
When co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa visited the disaster zone after the tragedy, he said people living in flood-prone areas would be moved to safer locations and eventually provided with houses.
But Mabhentsela said he was still waiting.
“I might have got out alive, but now when it rains I get scared,” he said.
“I always wonder whether my family and I would survive a second time.
“My house is unstable and full of cracks. I don’t know whether it will withstand it.”
Mabhentsela said he and other residents were initially told to return to their damaged homes while awaiting assistance and relocation.
“We were told the government would help us repair our homes and move us to safer areas, but we never heard anything after that,” he said.
Siphosakhe Vuso, another Ehlathini resident, said he spent nearly three hours trapped inside his house as water levels rose.
“We were told our houses were only partially damaged and that those left homeless would receive temporary shelter,” he said.
Community leader Thembalihle Majeke echoed the concerns, saying that many families who lost homes were still living with relatives or renting accommodation.
King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza rejected suggestions that flood victims had been unfairly excluded.
He said temporary residential units had been allocated according to circumstances and that the municipality continued encouraging residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer ground.
The ceremony brought together families who lost loved ones in the disaster, including Nosipho Khosi-Dabane, who lost her husband, two sons and a niece.
Her son, Lusanele, 13, remains the only victim whose body has never been recovered.
Eastern Cape social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta said the government remained committed to supporting affected families through housing, counselling and psychosocial services.
“We must acknowledge the immense pain and suffering endured by families affected by this disaster,” Fanta said.
“The government has taken significant steps to assist affected families, including the construction of temporary housing to provide shelter and security.”
The June 2025 floods claimed 104 lives, including 32 pupils, damaged more than 400 schools and left thousands homeless.
The OR Tambo district accounted for 77 of the deaths.
As candles were lit and the names of victims were read aloud, relatives openly wept while others expressed frustration that, a year later, many survivors were still waiting for the safer homes they were promised.
Daily Dispatch
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