EC govt denies claims that flood survivors being told to return to unsafe homes

MTHATHA - The Eastern Cape government has rubbished claims that flood survivors are being told to return to homes that may be unsafe, calling the reports false, dangerous and misleading.

This comes as parts of the province enters day two of a biting cold front, with snow reported in high-lying areas and heavy rains predicted over the next 48 hours.

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Officials said no one was being forced to move back and that safety remained the priority as teams continue damage assessments and humanitarian support.

The province said it’s concerned about false information circulating in some communities, insisting that residents should only return to their homes once they’ve been inspected and cleared by structural engineers.

In districts like OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo and Chris Hani, dozens of homes remain uninhabitable or destroyed entirely.

Emergency shelters and community halls continue to house those displaced, with a focus now shifting to long-term reconstruction plans.

"We have not instructed anyone to return there because the challenge is you sending the people back to those homes and the structures have been affected because the homes have been underwater," said provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Zolile Williams.

But with freezing weather now gripping the region, the pressure is mounting to move quickly, as communities face a dual crisis of loss and exposure.