21 Eastern Cape flood victims’ bodies identified: Hlabisa

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa leads a government delegation on an on-site inspection visit to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape on June 13, 2025.

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Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says 21 out of the 78 bodies linked to heavy rain that caused floods in the Eastern Cape have so far been identified.

He addressed the media in Mthatha yesterday after visiting the area to assess the damage the floods have caused in the province.

Hlabisa raised concerns about the slow pace of the identification of the bodies.

He also says this could be attributed to factors, including relatives visiting mortuaries to identify bodies without proof of identity.

Hlabisa says, “Then you ask a question, there were so many people, why the number is slow? There could be a number of factors, because you need to correctly identify yourself before you identify the deceased. Now, some people will go there with no documents to identify the deceased. There could be so many, and they will need to undergo a process of affidavits to ensure that not a wrong person makes an identification, even if it might be correct.”