Department of Home Affairs Assists Eastern Cape Flood Victims With Identity Documents

• Victims of the Eastern Cape floods, which ravaged parts of the province, including Mthatha and Butterworth, received assistance
• The deputy ministers of various government departments visited the victims and assisted them with crucial documents, including identity documents
• The Department of Human Settlements said it identified land in two municipalities to relocate flood victims

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 — Victims of the Eastern Cape flood, which claimed over 80 lives in mid-June 2025, received assistance from the government on 22 June 2025, which helped them with identity documents that they lost during the floods.

Deputy ministers visit flood-stricken Eastern Cape

According to SABC News, deputy presidents from the departments of Home Affairs, Human Settlements, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the Presidency visited Mthatha and Butterworth. The two areas were badly hit by the floods, which were preceded by cold weather and snowy conditions from 7 to 10 June. The visit's purpose was to assess the extent of the damage from the floods.

What assistance did the government provide?

The Department of Home Affairs assisted residents with Identity Documents and birth certificate registrations. Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza said that the department used its mobile fleet. He anticipated that the identity documents would be issued in two to three weeks.

The Department of Human Settlements said that it identified land in the King Sabata Dalindyebo and Mnquma municipalities to relocate the victims. This was after Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane said the department was looking for land to resettle the victims.

She also said that the government is considering providing flood victims who lost their homes with a grant to assist them in rebuilding.

Floods in the Eastern Cape

Parts of the Eastern Cape were ravaged by floods, which destroyed properties, homes, and roads. The floods also claimed over 80 lives as people went missing and drowned.

The government declared the floods a national disaster, and the province's Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, admitted that the provincial government was not fully equipped to respond to natural emergencies.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on SABC News' Facebook post discussed the government's assistance.

Joe Nathi said:

"Take them to the right place where floods will not do what happened, and assist them with RDP houses."

Judy Blignaut asked:

"How did they manage to issue these certificates so quickly? Normally, it takes weeks and months to get it at Home Affairs."

Thulan Churchill Klaas asked:

"Why take pictures? How petty can you be?"

China Phahlane said:

"So in South Africa you can get a birth certificate and ID fast, but there has to be a disaster first."

Influencer steps in to assist Eastern Cape flood victims

In a related article, Briefly News reported that an influencer assisted victims of the Eastern Cape floods. She distributed meals in a community.

A video posted on social media shows her preparing a large pot of food and distributing the meals to needy residents. South Africans saluted her assistance.

Source: Briefly News