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Cape Town
Friday, June 27, 2025

Eastern Cape reels as floods claim at least 57 lives

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The South African National Taxi Council, Santaco, is mourning the tragic loss of school children swept away by floods in the Eastern Cape.

 

Thirteen pupils were in a 22-seater scholar transport minibus when it was swept off a bridge by floodwaters near Koloni village, Mthatha.

 

Six pupils, the driver, and his assistant have been confirmed dead, while four children are still missing. Three pupils were initially rescued. Some media reports say the three children survived the ordeal after they were found clinging to a tree.

 

The devastating floods have claimed at least 57 lives across the province. Eastern Cape rescue authorities are continuing their search for those missing.

 

 Premier Oscar Mabuyane said at least five rescue teams had been dispatched to search for those missing.

 

At the same time, Mabuyane has admitted that the province is severely under-resourced as extreme weather continues to wreak havoc.

 

Speaking to the SABC, he highlighted the urgent need for more helicopters, K9 units, and localised emergency services in disaster-prone areas.

 

He told the SABC that there is currently only one SAPS helicopter servicing the entire province.

 

 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced he will be visiting Mthatha on Friday to give support to the families.

 

“We pay our condolences to the families that have lost loved ones in the flood disaster. We must ensure that we build much-needed capacity to effectively manage disasters in the long term.”

 

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa is visiting flood-affected communities in and around Mthatha today, to assess the impact.

“As government, we have descended to the Eastern Cape in Mthatha to give our support and ensure that when the people are in a difficult situation, government is not absent. That’s why at the national level, two Ministers are on the ground.”

 

 

 

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

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