By Thapelo Molefe
At least three people have died across the OR Tambo District after violent storms tore through Mthatha and surrounding areas, flattening homes, cutting electricity and leaving more than 100 households affected.
In Silverton, under the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Municipality, about 45 people were left homeless when heavy rains and strong winds ripped off roofs and toppled electricity lines on Friday.
One person was rushed to hospital, while no fatalities were reported in the area.
Executive mayor Nyaniso Nelani visited Silverton on Sunday to assess the damage and hand over blankets to displaced residents sheltering in a community hall, with assistance from the O.R. Tambo District Municipality.
Silverton is among several hard hit areas in Mthatha, including Southernwood and Fort Gale.
Across the district’s five local municipalities, 106 households have been affected, with several homes destroyed or partially damaged.
The district confirmed that severe thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rainfall, strong winds and hail, swept across the region on Saturday.
This followed a week of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 42°C in Mthatha.
The South African Weather Service had issued warnings ranging from Yellow Level 2 to Orange Level 6 between 12 and 13 February.
OR Tambo Mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana said the KSD municipality was the most affected.
“Various communities within the district have been affected. Predominantly the KSD local municipality has been the most affected, but Port St Johns as well as Nyandeni have also been affected,” he said.
He added that electric poles were “largely affected”, while some areas experienced flooding and fallen trees that damaged homes.
“We have received a report that in Ward 33 KSD there have been injuries to two people. But to our understanding, they are not severe injuries. As for fatalities, none whatsoever,” Ngqondwana said at the time.
However, district authorities later confirmed that three fatalities have been recorded across KSD as assessments continue.
Power outages have been reported in parts of KSD and Nyandeni, with some linked to Eskom supply disruptions.
Roads have been submerged, and municipal infrastructure has sustained damage, including roof collapse at the district’s Myezo main building.
Ngqondwana said disaster response teams were activated immediately.
“Our teams are on the ground, some doing assessments, but also all emergency services from our part have been put on the ground,” he said.
“For the past week, our teams have been on standby because these storms have been raging. We most certainly know every afternoon something is going to happen.”
He urged residents to remain vigilant, avoid flooded areas and monitor weather updates as more storms are expected in the coming days.
The latest destruction comes months after Mthatha was hit by deadly floods in June 2025.
Torrential rains triggered by a powerful cold front caused severe flooding across the area, killing more than 90 people, including 32 pupils.
Nearly 1,600 structures were affected and over 1,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.
Heavy rainfall caused the Mthatha Dam to overflow and the Cicira River to burst its banks, with floodwaters reaching up to four metres deep in some areas.
A state of national disaster was declared as thousands of residents were displaced and rehoused in areas such as Decoligny and Joe Slovo.
Damage to roads and services was estimated at more than R5 billion.
The 2025 floods were described as part of a series of extreme weather events linked to climate change that severely affected the OR Tambo and Amathole district municipalities.
With fresh storms forecast in the coming days, families now sheltering in community halls fear more rain could deepen the crisis in the OR Tambo region.
INSIDE METROS