Limpopo flood death toll rises to 25 as search operations continue

Floods force national road closures in Limpopo. Picture: X/@Am_Blujay The death toll from the recent flooding in Limpopo has risen to 25. This was announced by the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) in the province on Monday.

The department’s spokesperson, Tsakani Baloyi, said they are saddened by the rise in fatalities in the province since the onset of inclement weather in December 2025. Baloyi said search-and-rescue operations continue in the hardest-hit areas, including Mbaula. “The number of missing persons remains at 3, one from Mbaula and 2 from Thulamela.” Limpopo recently experienced severe weather, including heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with hail, strong winds, and flooding, which mainly affected Mopani, Vhembe, Waterberg and parts of Sekhukhune.

Beyond the loss of life, the weather also caused damage to homes and public infrastructure, including roads, schools, health centres, the environment and agriculture. The recent devastatingfloods in Limpopo and Mpumalanga have been classified as a national disaster. The classification was made by the head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Ellas Sithole, on Saturday. “After assessing the magnitude and severity of the severe weather that resulted in lightning, strong and damaging surface winds, heavy rainfall and flooding from late December 2025 in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, that resulted in the loss of life, damage to property Infrastructure and the environment, as well as the disruption of basic services, hereby give notice that I regard this occurrence as a disaster, I classify the disaster as a national disaster.”