Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, together with OR Tambo District Executive Mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana and King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Municipality Executive Mayor Nyaniso Nelani, has dismissed claims that the Mthatha Dam caused the recent flooding in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
This comes after widely circulated social media videos alleging that the recent floods were due to the opening of sluice gates at the Mthatha Dam.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Department of Water and Sanitation described the allegations as “unfounded and devoid of any truth.”
“The Department of Water and Sanitation that owns and operates the Mthatha Dam, can confirm that the dam does not have sluice gates but have designed spillways which automatically releases water when it reaches its full capacity. KSD and OR Tambo Municipalities have no jurisdiction over the dam which is a source of water supply for the Mthatha area,” the department said.
The department also disputed a separate viral video purporting to show the Mthatha Dam overflowing. The department said the dam shown in the footage is located over 20 kilometres downstream of the Mthatha dam and is unrelated to the dam or flood-affected communities.
Following Tuesday’s flooding, the department said dam safety engineers were dispatched on the ground to assess the situation.
Their findings indicated that flooding was caused by significant inflows from the Cicira tributary into the Mthatha River, downstream from the dam, which resulted in the riverbanks overtopping.
“Upon assessment by the department’s engineers, the gauge readings at the dam indicated that on 9 June 2025 at 4pm, the water levels at the dam were sitting at 99.8%, which was a slight decline from the 99.9% of the previous week.
“However, by midnight on the same day, the dam experienced a sudden inflow of water from the rains in the upstream catchment which increased the stored water from 99.8%% to 102% leading to the dam spilling,” the department explained.
The department added that the outflow of water from the dam coincided with the heavy flows from Cicira River downstream.
According to assessments, the upper reaches of the tributary also experienced flash flooding in saturated conditions, leading to the Mthatha River overflowing its banks.
The department said it is working with the OR Tambo District to restore operations at the Thornhill Water Treatment Works, which was also affected by the floods.
Efforts are also underway to resume its function and able to supply the town with potable water.
Majodina condemned the distribution of fake news, while the nation mourns the tragic deaths occasioned by the inclement weather. She also urged the public to be vigilant and verify the facts before sharing online.
“Read the room and refrain from inflicting more pain to those that are affected by the disaster,” Majodina said.
The Minister also conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones due to devastating floods, which have claimed 78 lives across the province, including over 50 of them from Mthatha alone. – SAnews.gov.za
