South Africa’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says 21 out of the 78 victims dead after heavy rain caused floods in the Eastern Cape have so far been identified as of Friday.

Minister Hlabisa said lack of proper documentation from relatives attempting to identify their loved ones has caused delays in identification.

"You need to correctly identify yourself before you identify the deceased. Now, some people will go there with no documents to identify the deceased. There could be so many, and they will need to undergo a process of affidavits to ensure that not a wrong person makes an identification, even if it might be correct.”

Rescue teams continue to work through debris and floodwater to find missing people and retrieve bodies after heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks in the predawn hours of Tuesday.

Devastating impact

The worst-hit areas include Mthatha and its surroundings, where a river burst its banks in the predawn hours of Tuesday, sweeping away homes, cars, and, tragically, their occupants.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane described the harrowing scene, noting that the floods struck while many residents were asleep and that water levels reached 3-4 metres (10-13 feet) in some areas as the river overflowed into nearby communities.

“It’s a terrible situation. It happened at the wrong time.” Premier Mabuyane told state broadcaster SABC.

Mabuyane also highlighted the region's limited resources as challenges faced by local authorities in launching an effective rescue operation.

Provincial government officials said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number, and rescue efforts would continue on Friday.