‘I've never seen anything like this': Eastern Cape survivor recounts flood nightmare
Carpenter Bathandwa Malipale survived a seven-hour ordeal during deadly floods in Slovo Park, the Eastern Cape.
The death toll from the floods has risen to 75, with many still missing.
Malipale described seeing cars submerged, people clinging to trees for safety, and his treacherous three-hour trek through flooded roads to reach his sister.
For seven hours on Tuesday night, Bathandwa Malipale stayed wide awake, fearing that closing his eyes might mean never waking up, as violent storms tore through Slovo Park village in Mthatha, the Eastern Cape.
The 40-year-old carpenter, who said he prayed for his survival, narrowly escaped a flooded home on the property where he was installing cupboards a few metres away.
'I have never seen anything like this before in my 40 years of living,' Malipale told News24.
The death toll from the floods that battered the Eastern Cape increased to 75, according to Gift of the Givers, which retrieved eight bodies, adding to the 67 announced by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa in a media briefing on Thursday afternoon.
Addressing the media in Mthatha on Thursday, Hlabisa - flanked by his provincial counterpart, Zolile Williams, and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube - said the situation was a 'logistical nightmare' due to the large number of deaths, which was expected to increase as several people were still unaccounted for.
What started as an ordinary workday for Malipale on Tuesday quickly turned into a living nightmare.
He recounted how, while installing cupboards in an apartment, he watched as the sky turn an ominous shade of grey and rain began to fall.
'I planned to go home, but the sky changed quickly. I could see that it was going to rain, so I decided it was safer to stay over.'
But by around 19:00, Malipale said strong winds started lifting the zinc sheeting off the roof of the building he sought refuge in.
'I realised that I could not sleep in these conditions. I could see that things were not going to get [any] better.'
He said:
Hours went by, and I decided to check what was happening outside because people were screaming. I opened the door and saw water gushing down from the gate, and it came inside the house.
Terrified and desperate, Malipale sought shelter in another building on the property. The second building was a few metres from the one he had been in.
'I ran out of the house and tried to get to the other houses in the yard, which were on a higher level than the one I had planned to sleep in,' he said.
'That is where I ended up all night because I didn't want to find myself sleeping when this water entered the house. I could hear people screaming from outside.
'I also couldn't leave the house because I was also scared for my life. The water was flooding the yard.'
Soon, the area was plunged into darkness, and cellphone reception was lost.
He was stranded and unable to call for help.
'I decided to stay in the other house and wait until things calmed down outside so that I could go out and go get help,' Malipale said.
When the rain finally subsided at around 05:00 the following day, he plucked up the courage to go outside. He saw total destruction.
'The bed of the house where I initially planned to sleep was floating, blankets were wet, and utensils were also floating in the water.'
READ | 49 die in Mthatha deluge as authorities mull court action over flood-line homes
His cellphone battery had died, and, without a way to alert his family, he walked to his sister's workplace in town.
What would have been a 30-minute trip turned into a three-hour trek through flooded roads. By this time, Malipale said, his clothes were soaked.
'As I walked, I saw some cars covered by water, and these were at the houses close to the riverbanks. As I got closer, I saw people standing on their roofs, some holding [on to] trees, asking for help.
'I was also not brave enough to help. I was scared I'd get swept away by the water.'
He described the anguish of being unable to help, saying:
This situation has left me traumatised. A man who was screaming for help as he was hanging onto the tree... I saw him being swept away with the tree he was holding on to.
Malipale said he was struggling to come to terms with his ordeal.
'I haven't been able to return to work because I'm scared of what might happen when I'm there. But I still need to go finish the work,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Associated Press
Catastrophic floods kill dozens in South Africa as photos show receding waters revealing more bodies
MTHATHA, South Africa (AP) — Receding floodwaters that submerged homes days before left the residents of Mthatha, South Africa, helpless. They watched the bodies of their families and neighbors being recovered from the aftermath of an extreme weather front that brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of the province. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
News24
10 hours ago
- News24
Saturday's weather: Cool to warm temperatures expected across SA
Hot and windy conditions are expected in the north-western parts of the Northern Cape, according to the South African Weather Service. Strong coastal winds in the Northern Cape's coastline regions and freshening winds in KwaZulu-Natal's northern areas. Weather update for today and tomorrow, 13-14 June 2025: Fine and cool but partly cloudy in the north with drizzle along the escarpment in Limpopo. #saws #SAWeather — SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) June 13, 2025 The weather in your province Gauteng: Expect fine and cool weather, although it may feel colder in parts of the south. Pretoria: 5°C — 19°C Johannesburg: 4°C — 16°C Vereeniging: 1°C — 18°C Mpumalanga: The day starts fine and cold to cool, transitioning to partly cloudy over the Lowveld later. Mbombela: 7°C — 19°C Ermelo: 2°C — 18°C Emalahleni: 3°C — 18°C Standerton: 2°C — 18°C Skukuza: 9°C — 25°C Limpopo: Expect cloudy conditions in the east, with morning drizzle and fog patches over the escarpment. The rest of the province will be partly cloudy and cold to cool. Polokwane: 5°C — 18°C Phalaborwa: 11°C — 24°C Tzaneen: 8°C — 19°C Musina: 10°C — 22°C Lephalale: 8°C — 22°C Mokopane: 5°C — 19°C North West: Fine and cool conditions prevail throughout. Klerksdorp: 3°C — 18°C Potchefstroom: 2°C — 18°C Mahikeng: 5°C — 19°C Rustenburg: 5°C — 19°C Vryburg: 1°C — 20°C Free State: The weather will be fine, with temperatures ranging from cold to cool. Bloemfontein: 0°C — 18°C Welkom: 2°C — 18°C Bethlehem: –3°C — 17°C Northern Cape: Fine and cool to warm weather is forecast, though the north-western parts could experience hot and windy conditions. Coastal winds will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, occasionally reaching strong levels. Upington: 6°C — 22°C Kimberley: 3°C — 19°C De Aar: 3°C — 17°C Alexander Bay: 17°C — 32°C Springbok: 14°C — 23°C Calvinia: 8°C — 23°C Sutherland: 2°C — 20°C Western Cape: Fine and cool to warm in most regions. Coastal areas will experience moderate to fresh north-to-north-easterly winds, while the southeast coast might have light and variable winds. Cape Town: 14°C — 27°C Vredendal: 10°C — 30°C Riversdale: 8°C — 29°C George: 10°C — 28°C Worcester: 4°C — 27°C Beaufort West: 5°C — 24°C Oudtshoorn: 3°C — 24°C Western half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool weather is expected, but it is colder in the north. Along the coast, winds will be light northerly, becoming moderate north-easterly in the afternoon. Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool overall, but colder in places in the north. Coastal winds will be light to moderate north-easterly. Gqeberha: 9°C — 26°C Makhanda: 7°C — 22°C Cradock: 2°C — 20°C Graaff-Reinet: 4°C — 21°C East London: 10°C — 26°C Port St Johns: 13°C — 24°C Umtata: 5°C — 23°C Komani: 2°C — 19°C Qonce: 8°C — 24°C KwaZulu-Natal: Fine and cool throughout the province. Coastal winds will range from light to moderate northerly to north-easterly, with freshening conditions in the north as the day progresses. Durban: 15°C — 24°C Richard's Bay: 12°C — 25°C Pietermaritzburg: 6°C — 24°C Ladysmith: 5°C — 23°C *This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.
News24
10 hours ago
- News24
Man recounts saving himself and mother with rooftop escape during severe floods in Mthatha
Loyiso Mkhayindana, 25, broke through his roof with a spade to save himself and his praying mother from rising floods. Trapped with no keys and burglar-proofed windows, he pulled his mother to safety as water reached the ceiling. He later slipped into the flood but survived by staying calm and was swept to safety. Despite his small stature, Loyiso Mkhayindana had to summon all his strength to save himself and his mother from rising waters on Tuesday morning. Mkhayindana, 25, had to break through the roof of their home to escape the deadly floods. The only thing keeping him going was a fervent prayer from his mother, Nonelisa Mkhayindana, 49, in the other room. They were both trapped inside as they could not find the keys to open the door of their home, and their windows were also burglarproofed. Armed with only a garden spade he found in the bathroom, Mkhayindana forced open two openings in the roof for himself and his mother. The unemployed young man, originally from Mbizana, said he moved to Mthatha for greener pastures and never imagined that one day he would be forced to learn how to swim in an instant to save his life. He said: It was around 5:00 on Tuesday that we heard people screaming outside and others were calling my name, but I did not take it seriously. But he was forced to pay attention after hearing many female voices calling, 'We are dying, please help'. 'When I looked through the window, I saw water all over; the houses below us had submerged even though there were still lower water levels on us. It was like a dream,' said Mkhayindana. He said he immediately realised that he and his mother were in trouble when they could not find their keys, which they suspect were washed away. He shouted at neighbours to say there was water everywhere and soon it was up to their waists. Throughout the ordeal, he could hear his mother praying in the other room. He used his bare hands to break the ceiling board of their house, and by the time he had gone to fetch the spade, the water was up to his chest. Showing his now-bandaged hands, Mkhayindana said he injured himself trying to get out. He said: I used my hands to break the ceiling board and tore into the corrugated sheet zinc while lying flat on the ceiling board of the house. 'I managed to escape through the rooftop. By this time, the water was above the windows, reaching the ceiling. 'My mother was in another room, I urged her to try climbing on the bed and then try to reach the ceiling.' Stumbling on the roof, he tried to reach his mother. 'She was continuing praying and crying. I told her to reach for the ceiling board; I then heard her knocking, from the bottom into the roof. I knew she had reached the place I wanted her to be,' he said. Mkhayindana said he used the spade to make an opening for her, almost hitting her on the head. 'But I managed to open the roof, made a small hole, grabbed her by her hands and pulled her through,' he said, adding that he could feel the water trying to pull her away. They were able to get to safety by navigating their way from the roof to a high wall for safety. 'As we were walking on this wall, I told my mother to stop, I picked her up and threw her to my neighbours, who were on the roof of the toilet, which was much safer. I then threw her and luckily the neighbour picked her up. 'As I was throwing her, I slipped and fell into the water. I don't know how to swim; all I know is that you don't fight with the water. I relaxed my body and [was somehow] swept to safety,' he said. He and his mother, as well as their neighbours, escaped unscathed but will have to rebuild their lives as they have lost all their belongings. By Friday, at least 78 people had died as a result of the devastating floods.
