The death toll for the Mthatha floods has increased to 101, and still counting. The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs estimated that repairing the infrastructure damaged by the Mthatha floods in the Eastern Cape will cost more than 5 billion rand. Young black, female farmer Siphesihle Kwetana (30) is devastated after losing over R330 000 .
ALSO READ: Mthatha flood victims to get R12 000 to rebuild homes
The young farmer lost 110 of her livestock drowned, 750 of her chickens died and damage to her farm – damaged water pump, 1 000 trays of cabbage seedlings were wiped out, and the side wall and roof of the piggery were torn. “I’m broken,” KwetaNa said. Her farm Sideca (Pty) Ltd is located just outside Mthatha. When the rain seemed unstoppable on 10 June 2025, she tried to protect her livestock however by 13:00 the following day, her farm was completely drenched and animals had drowned. The multi-award-winning young farmer received a call at 7 am from one of the farm workers to say the farm had completely been washed by the floods.
Kwetana started a food business in 2013 after failing Grade 12. When that did not go well, she turned to farming livestock vegetables, and fruit. It took her two years to find her feet. The floods have since been declared a national disaster declaration and destroyed her plays as she also had been supplying local spaza shops, and donating to schools, and households. She was also training young aspiring farmers who are still in school. Senior researcher at the Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE), Dr Fani Ncapayi said the recent floods highlight the failure of municipalities to develop or implement disaster management plans. “Some municipalities do not have disaster management plans despite multiple incidences of flooding over the past few years, and this is something that residents have been complaining about for years.”
