The Democratic Alliance extends its sincere appreciation to disaster management teams, emergency services, firefighters, municipal workers, humanitarian organisations, volunteers, and all frontline responders who have worked under dangerous conditions to protect lives and support affected communities.
Severe flooding across parts of the Eastern Cape has displaced families, damaged homes, closed schools, cut off roads, disrupted businesses, and placed communities under immense pressure following the passage of an intense cut-off low weather system.
My thoughts are with every family affected by this disaster, especially those who have lost homes, possessions, and a sense of safety. Many residents in low-lying areas and informal settlements have faced frightening conditions, with some families forced to evacuate during the night as floodwaters rose.
The DA especially commends the DA-run Kouga Local Municipality and Kouga Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman for their swift and proactive response to the crisis.
Kouga’s emergency teams were mobilised early, urgent evacuation notices were issued for high-risk communities along the Kromme River and in the Gamtoos Valley, shelters were opened, and municipal leadership remained visible on the ground. Residents in areas including Kingsway Village, Big Fish, Gamtoos Mouth Resort, Ferry Hotel, and other low-lying areas were urged to move to safety as river levels rose and dams exceeded capacity.
This level of preparation, communication, and practical leadership is what residents should expect from government during a disaster.
The DA is also encouraged by the extraordinary response from communities. Neighbours have assisted neighbours, churches and organisations have opened their doors, and ordinary residents have helped families who had nowhere else to go. That spirit of solidarity reflects the best of the Eastern Cape.
As recovery begins, the provincial government must ensure that disaster relief is properly coordinated, reaches affected residents quickly, and is not delayed by poor communication among departments, municipalities, and disaster management structures.
The province must urgently assess damage to roads, bridges, homes, schools, farms, businesses, and public infrastructure. The recent floods have again exposed the vulnerability of ageing, poorly maintained infrastructure across parts of the province, and this must be part of the recovery assessment.
The DA also remains concerned that the province still lacks adequate air support capacity for disaster response, particularly during floods, when communities may become isolated, roads may be cut off, and rescue teams may struggle to reach residents quickly.
Residents need clear information on shelter, relief support, road safety, school closures, municipal services, and recovery timelines.
DA MPLs have continued to support relief efforts where possible and will monitor the provincial response over the coming days.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that is present in times of crisis, honest about the scale of the damage, and focused on helping communities recover with dignity.