The small village of Sibangweni near Mthatha was wrapped in sorrow on Monday as Yola Bavu, a 28-year-old single mother, buried her three daughters — victims of the devastating floods that continue to ravage the Eastern Cape.

The funeral of Indiphile (11), Keneilwe (9), and Cebo (6) marked one of the first burials following the torrential floods that have now claimed at least 97 lives. The emotional farewell captured the pain of a mother who lost her entire world in one tragedy.

 

“All my children are dead, I’m left with none,” Bavu said through tears. “They were so young. I will never see those smiles again or hear their joyful noise. I am poorer without them.”

Yola’s daughters were among six pupils from Bambanani Primary School in Slovo Park who died during the floods. The three girls were in Grades 6, 3, and 1 respectively. The children had been left in the care of their grandmother, Ntombizonke Bavu (49), while Yola visited her own grandmother in Sibangweni. She had promised her children she would return the following day — June 11.

“I didn’t know that would be our final goodbye. Maybe we all would have died together, but God spared me,” Yola said.

On the morning of the disaster, the children were getting ready for school as usual. Their grandmother, Ntombizonke, left for work at a nearby school, not knowing the horror that would unfold.

“When I heard about the flooding, I rushed home,” she recounted. “I prayed that they had escaped, but when I arrived, the house was submerged. I searched frantically, but it was too late. Two were buried in the mud. I had to pull them out myself. The oldest was found much later.”

Yola’s grief was shared by her mother and grandmother, Nomsa (63), as they clung to one another during the funeral service. The tragedy underscores the broader toll the floods have taken on the region — beyond the rising death count, many families have lost homes, belongings, and their sense of security.

Teachers at Bambanani Primary said over 200 learners were affected, with some now homeless. Emergency response teams are providing assistance. The Department of Human Settlements, along with Public Works and local traditional leadership, is working with the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality to find land for building homes for displaced families.

Provincial government spokesperson Khusela Rantjie confirmed that 86 of the recovered bodies have been identified and handed over to families, while efforts continue to identify the remaining victims.

Yola’s grief was shared by her mother and grandmother, Nomsa (63), as they clung to one another during the funeral service. The tragedy underscores the broader toll the floods have taken on the region — beyond the rising death count, many families have lost homes, belongings, and their sense of security.

Teachers at Bambanani Primary said over 200 learners were affected, with some now homeless. Emergency response teams are providing assistance. The Department of Human Settlements, along with Public Works and local traditional leadership, is working with the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality to find land for building homes for displaced families.

Provincial government spokesperson Khusela Rantjie confirmed that 86 of the recovered bodies have been identified and handed over to families, while efforts continue to identify the remaining victims.

As the province prepares for a mass memorial service, Yola Bavu and countless others mourn not only their loved ones but also the future that was taken from them. The pain of this loss will linger far beyond the floodwaters’ retreat.