A week-long community search ended tragically with the discovery of a 48-year-old man’s body in eFaya, in uMshwathi Municipality. The man was reportedly swept away by a swollen river while attempting to cross during heavy storms on November 29. Residents said he had been visiting relatives on the other side of the river when the severe weather hit.
Ward councillor Bheki Mbuthu said he had not been able to reach the family, as roads to the area remain impassable following the storm. He explained that a group of residents organised a search after the man was reported missing. “We are grateful he has been found so his family can have closure after days of uncertainty.
We also urge residents to avoid crossing rivers during severe weather, as conditions remain dangerous,” Mbuthu said. The discovery comes in the wake of widespread flooding in uMshwathi Municipality. On November 23, three people were killed when floodwaters tore through New Hanover.
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The storms affected 108 households and 465 people, including many from Lesotho. A total of 117 houses were damaged — 50 partially and 67 completely — leaving 79 people homeless. Meanwhile, the search for a 35-year-old Dundee woman, who slipped into an open manhole during the severe storms that lashed the area on Saturday, is ongoing.
K9 units from Empangeni and other regions, supported by local South African Police Service officers, disaster management teams, and community volunteers, continued searching the river banks and surrounding areas on Monday. Phumlani Ntombela, Endumeni’s disaster manager, confirmed that every available resource, including a drone, is being deployed to scour the Steenkoolspruit and surrounding terrain.
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