7 Killed by Severe Floods in the Eastern Cape As Cold Weather Persists

• The South African Police Service has confirmed that seven people have died in the Eastern Cape as a result of the severe weather
• Heavy rains caused flooding and inclement weather, and six bodies have been found in Mthatha
• The seventh body was found near the Bedlana River, and the search continues for a minibus that was swept away by the rain

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a journalist at Briefly News in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

EASTERN CAPE — Seven people have lost their lives in the Eastern Cape on 10 June 2025 as the heavy rainfall, which accompanied the cold, snowy weather, continues to batter the province.

7 Die, minibus missing

According to SABC News, six of the bodies were found in Mthatha along Decoligny Village. The seven bodies were found near the Bedlana River at Tsholo. A minibus carrying school children was also swept away near Decoligny. Three learners were found clinging downstream to some trees.

The provincial government's spokesperson, Khuselwa Rantjie, said that the fatalities occurred in the OR Tambo district Municipalities. The search continues for the inhabitants of the taxi, which was washed away.

The South African Weather Service issued an Orange Level 6 for severe rainfall and inclement weather leading to flooding. This was after it had earlier predicted that the country would experience cold weather conditions as a result of a cold front sweeping across the country. Eight of the nine provinces were affected by the cold weather.

What you need to know about the cold weather

• The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, cautioned motorists to stay at home during the severe weather conditions
• South Africans complained about the freezing weather that began in the country on 7 June
• The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government closed parts of the N2 as the South African Weather Service issued several Orange Level warnings

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on Facebook shared their grief and sadness at their loss.

Christian Precous MacHingura said:

"Disastrous. Oh, lord, have mercy."

Dragular Dragular said:

"Very sad indeed. Condolences to the affected families."

princess Matjila said:

"This weather will kill more people. Let's pray for the homeless and assist where we can. It's not easy outside there."

Nokwana Majodina said:

"This is a natural disaster."

What you need to know about the Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape is one of South Africa’s nine provinces. Its capital is Bhisho, while its largest city is Gqeberha. Known for its mild climate and historic 19th-century towns, the province is a popular destination for tourists. It also holds a prominent place in South Africa’s history as the birthplace of many anti-apartheid leaders, including Nelson Mandela.

The Eastern Cape is the country’s second-largest province after the Northern Cape. It was established in 1994 through the merger of the former Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei with the eastern part of the former Cape Province. It is the only province in South Africa where the proportion of Black Africans declined slightly after the end of apartheid.

It initially included four supreme courts, in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), Gqeberha, Bhisho, and Mthatha, and even contained enclaves of KwaZulu-Natal. It were later resolved through adjustments to municipal and provincial boundaries.

Sol Phenduka reacts to cold weather

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Podcast & Chill podcast host Sol Phenduka reacted to the drop in temperature. He shared his thoughts on 10 June when the weather's temperature dropped drastically.

Pbenduka complained about the temperatures and advised South Africans to keep warm. He shared a selfie of himself warmly dressed in an elevator with a flask in his hand. South Africans roasted him on social media.

"Yes, let's keep warm. But it doesn't give one the reason to pour the whole gin bottle into a travel flask. Those are for your tea and coffee, which we know you hardly take," one netizen joked.

Source: Briefly News