Heavy rain across southern Africa has left more than 30 people dead in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and displaced more than half a million people in Mozambique as flooding continues. In Limpopo,heavy rain submerged Kambaku 2 Boat Safari Lodgenear Phalaborwa, forcing the owners to walk for hours through rising waters to seek help as floodwaters inundated their property. The Kruger National Park temporarily closed its gates to day visitors amid a level-10 weather warning, and several guests and staff were later airlifted to safety as rivers breached their banks.
Heavy rain has also caused catastrophic flooding in neighbouring Mozambique, where the government has issued a nationwide level red warning. The heavy rain is forecast to continue throughout the week. In a statement, theOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) said Xai-Xai, which is the provincial capital of Gaza, is one of the hardest hit areas.
The town is situated near the Limpopo River and many residents evacuated to higher ground. “Authorities have also issued alerts for downtown Xai-Xai, including warnings of the risk of crocodiles appearing in flooded areas. More than half a million people have been impacted so far,” said the OCHA.
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Many roads are still inaccessible and alternatives, including the use of sea routes between the capital Maputo and the small port of Inhambane, which is closer to most impacted areas, are being explored. OCHA warned that the rains are likely to continue and there is a risk of further flooding. “It will also take time for dam levels to reduce, floodwater to recede and soil to stabilise enough to reopen roads,” said the OCHA.
Club of Mozambiquereported that during a visit to the Gaza region, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo overflew Chokwe where he spotted a dozen people, including children, stranded on top of a minibus while the flood waters swirled around them. He told the pilot of his helicopter to land the aircraft as close to the minibus as possible.
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