Heavy rains and storms have hammered the two southern African nations for weeks, with more than 30 fatalities reported in South Africa’s north eastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces alone.
“I classify the disaster as a national disaster,” announced Elias Sithole, head of South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre, in a statement released Sunday.
The torrential downpours have caused rivers to burst their banks, swallowing entire neighbourhoods across several regions of Mozambique and displacing thousands of residents. Among the most harrowing accounts is that of a woman forced to give birth on a rooftop while sheltering from the devastating floodwaters.
Rescue operations continued through the weekend as authorities searched for survivors and recovered bodies, though flooding has begun to recede in some areas. The world-renowned Kruger National Park, which was forced to close and evacuate guests on Thursday, announced it would partially reopen.
“Day visitation to the park will resume as of tomorrow,” South African National Parks posted on social media, while urging visitors to “exercise caution.”
In Mozambique, rescue efforts have been hampered by the scale of destruction, leaving many survivors stranded on rooftops and in trees. At least eight people have died in the country since 21 December, according to official figures, though authorities expect the death toll to rise as more people are reported missing.
Search and rescue operations also remain underway for Andile Mngwevu, the City of Ekurhuleni’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Roads and Transport, who went missing after his vehicle was swept away by severe floodwaters in southern Mozambique.
The incident occurred in Chokwé, a small town in southern Mozambique, where Mngwevu was participating in an official delegation visit. According to municipal sources, the vehicle carrying the transport official was caught in fast-moving floodwater during severe flooding that struck the area over the weekend.
Mozambican authorities and emergency response teams are actively conducting search operations to locate Mngwevu and any other individuals who may have been affected by the flooding incident. The City of Ekurhuleni municipality has confirmed it remains in constant communication with local authorities coordinating the search efforts.
“The City of Ekurhuleni is deeply concerned about the situation,” the municipality stated, emphasising their ongoing collaboration with Mozambican emergency services.
Chauna Macuacua, a resident of Gaza province north of Maputo, shared the desperate situation her family faces. Her sister-in-law gave birth on a roof where the family has been waiting for rescue since Thursday.
“We’ve been here for four days. My nephew was born yesterday around 23:00, and we still haven’t had any rescue or assistance for the baby and mother,” Macuacua told AFP.
Wilker Dias, director of civil society organisation Plataforma Decide, reported receiving multiple missing person reports. “I think the numbers of dead will increase in the next hours,” he warned.
According to the latest government figures released Friday, more than 173,000 people across Mozambique have been affected by the floods, highlighting the massive humanitarian challenge facing the region.
The declaration of a national disaster in South Africa will facilitate the mobilisation of additional resources and coordinate relief efforts as both countries grapple with one of the worst flooding disasters in recent memory.
ALSO READ: WATCH | South African floods claim 10 lives, Mozambique on high alert
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