The latest provincial assessment, shared with the National COGTA Portfolio Committee this afternoon, confirms that repairing the roads, bridges, schools, clinics and water infrastructure destroyed in this month’s floods will require at least R5.18 billion.
The human cost has been devastating, with the official death toll now rising to 95. At least 4,724 families have lost their homes and must now be accommodated in temporary residential units. A further 2,145 houses have sustained partial damage from the flooding, predominantly to the roofing.
A relief operation of this magnitude demands absolute unity of purpose, yet humanitarian workers on the ground are being forced to contend with criminal intimidation.
Gift of the Givers teams distributing clean drinking water in Mthatha were threatened by an alleged “water mafia” linked to local service-provider interests, prompting police protection and national condemnation.
Such acts of extortion are a direct assault on vulnerable communities and on every South African who has opened hand and heart to help.
The DA is calling on the Premier, the SAPS and the South African National Defence Force to guarantee the safety of all accredited relief organisations, to arrest those who threaten or obstruct aid workers, and to establish a permanent, fully resourced joint operations command that includes municipal officials, Eskom, Amatola Water, COGTA and civil-society partners.
Thousands of people remain in shelters, relying on donated food, water tanker deliveries and emergency health services. An additional R456 million is required for temporary residential units, with the province only able to provide R120 million.
Across the province, dozens of roads and bridges have been washed away, including major links in the Chris Hani, Amathole and Alfred Nzo districts.
Road infrastructure repair costs are estimated at an additional R935 million, of which R102 million has been reprioritised from the Provincial Department of Transport’s budget, leaving a deficit of R832 million for which intervention is required.
A total of 431 schools have also been affected, with exams disrupted. Hospitals and clinics have experienced service interruptions, with 69 health facilities affected to varying degrees.
Water infrastructure has been compromised, and electricity remains partially restored in many areas.
Despite these challenges, the central Disaster Management hub remains desperately under-resourced, key leadership posts remain vacant, and there is neither a Chief Director nor Directors for fire services or risk reduction, with no budget allocated for these positions in the current financial year.
The public must see clear, visible coordination and a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who seeks to profit from disaster.
Together we must ensure that every family displaced by these floods receives shelter, clean water, healthcare, psychosocial support and a path to rebuild.
The people of the Eastern Cape have shown extraordinary resilience. They deserve an equally determined response from all spheres of government and society at large.
Our focus now must be on restoring dignity, protecting aid workers and accelerating the massive reconstruction programme that lies ahead.