Eastern Cape floods cause R5bn in damage – health facilities among worst hit

Homes, roads, bridges, schools and clinics were swept away as floods tore through the Eastern Cape — causing damage estimated at R5bn, with health facilities among the hardest hit.

Source: Pexels

The Eastern Cape government says it will need at least R88m to repair hospitals and clinics damaged during the disaster. The province's Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) department confirmed that 63 healthcare facilities sustained damage in the deluge.

The severe weather, which struck 38 days ago, caused widespread destruction across the Alfred Nzo, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi and Sarah Baartman municipalities, while the OR Tambo and Amathole districts were the most severely affected.

Providing an update from Mthatha on Wednesday, 17 July 2025 Cogta MEC Zolile Williams said recovery and disaster-response efforts were underway, with health infrastructure forming a key focus due to the level of destruction.

“Repairs will cost approximately R88m,” said Williams. “Immediate repair work has already started at some facilities, and primary healthcare services have continued to reach the hardest-hit communities.”

Williams added that a comprehensive assessment and verification of infrastructure damage had been completed by technical teams, paving the way for targeted recovery operations.