Update: Eastern Cape flooding death toll rises to 57! The death toll from the Eastern Cape floods has risen to 57 following an overnight recovery operation.
The province has been battered by relentless rain and flooding since the start of the week.
On Tuesday, a minibus carrying 13 school children was swept off the R61 bridge — some of the passengers are still missing.
Eastern Cape flooding
Emergency crews, paramedics, and disaster teams have been searching affected areas, including Decoligny village and Joe Slovo, where most of the bodies were recovered.
On Thursday, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa joined provincial officials on the ground to assess the damage and offer support.
Hlabisa said that municipalities would work to ensure rebuilding took place on safe ground, away from floodplains.
“These people were not allocated here by the municipalities, who should have considered the area where they are locating people and people decided to build on their own.”
Gwarube said that arrangements were being made to reschedule the mid-year exams at schools hit by the floods.
“Remember, we have an exam time table and schedule which is incredibly tight, many of these kids are writing June exams, so we have to make sure that we have already postponed the two exams that were being written, we have to make sure that we have contingency plans for them.”
In other news – Actress Asavela Mqokiyana returns to TV after giving birth
Actress Asavela Mqokiyana is back in the spotlight after taking a year-long break to focus on motherhood. The 29-year-old star from Mount Frere, Eastern Cape, has officially joined the cast of Uzalo, one of South Africa’s most-watched soapies.
After her last appearance on Durban Gen in 2023, Asavela stepped away from the screen to welcome her child. She shared that returning to the acting scene required both mental and physical preparation. Read More
