People are still missing and about 86 bodies recovered after the floods in Mthatha, part of the OR Tambo District, in the Eastern Cape.
The Department of Water Affairs said a video claiming floods in parts of the Eastern Cape during the week, was caused by an overflowing Mthatha Dam, is false and misleading.
The Department said its technical teams can confirm heavy inflows from the Circa tributary into the Mthatha River, downstream the dam.
In addition, dam level readings on the day of the incident, the 09th June 2025, showed it was 99,8% full.
The floods have devastated and displaced a thousand.
Various organisations are now wanting to get to the bottom of the reason of the floods.
One such organisation is the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), calling for an urgent independent judicial commission of inquiry into the disaster.
The union said in a statement “AMCU rejects the notion that this was a natural disaster, pointing instead to government failure, lack of preparedness, and criminal negligence. The Union furthermore demands the immediate suspension and investigation of the Minister of Water and Sanitation as well as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; the public release of all warnings issued and actions taken prior to the floods; the urgent provision of temporary shelter and support for displaced families; and a comprehensive infrastructure and housing plan for all flood-prone communities.”
Picture of supplies to affected people, now housed in a community facility.