In wake of EC flooding, Gift of the Givers urges that homes not be built in low-lying areas, near riverbanks
Gift of the Givers’ Ali Salbay said that families who built homes along riverbanks were bound to be the most severely affected as rivers and dams swell and overflow in stormy weather.
A home in Mthatha was partially destroyed during flooding in the area on 11 June 2025. Picture: Jacques Nelles/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Humanitarian aid group, Gift of the Givers, said that when redevelopment in the flood-stricken Eastern Cape begins, homes shouldn’t be built in low-lying areas and near the riverbanks as they are most prone to disasters.
More than 2,600 residents were left homeless in Mthatha alone and are currently being accommodated at various shelters.
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Gift of the Givers’ Ali Salbay said that families who built homes along riverbanks were bound to be the most severely affected as rivers and dams swell and overflow in stormy weather.
"These families have to move away from the low-lying areas; the dams are overflowing. They built along the wall of the dam, they built along the riverbanks, low-lying areas. And when this disaster occurred, it was impossible for them not to be hit," said Salbay.
He added that this should be a wake-up call for residents and government to plan for better housing development.
"We saw the frustrations of the provincial government and the premier, the minsters of COGTA that was here, horrified at how many homes are still standing along the riverbanks and the dam wall, but now more people want to move away because the force of the water that came through was traumatizing for them," said Salbay.