Following a devastating flood in uMsinga, the Malinga family faces unimaginable grief after losing their wife and mother, Nokwazi Ndlovu. As search efforts continue for missing individuals, the community rallies to support those affected.
Image: KZN Department of Transport
The Malinga family in uMsinga has been left grappling with the pain of losing two loved ones — a daughter and a mother — following floods that devastated the area on Thursday.
The lifeless body of Nokwazi Ndlovu, a farmworker and wife of Mandlenkosi Malinga, has since been recovered.
Ndlovu and six co-workers were travelling in a bakkie that was transporting them home when the vehicle was swept away while attempting to cross a low-lying bridge in the eNadi area of eMabovini during heavy rains.
The vehicle was overwhelmed by rushing floodwaters amid the deluge.
Her body was among the four recovered so far by search and rescue teams, while two male occupants of the vehicle were still reported missing.
All four deceased were women whose bodies were found in the Inadi and uThukela rivers. One of the victims was believed to have been pregnant.
The tragedy has left the local community with an overwhelming sense of loss and helplessness.
Weighed down by grief, Mandlenkosi told the Daily News that he had just returned home from work in Kranskop, expecting to find his wife welcoming him as she always did.
“When I got home, I noticed that the house was still dark, which was unusual. I didn’t think much of it at first, but when I checked the main house, I realised she wasn’t there. I tried to call her, but the network was down,” he said.
Hours later, Mandlenkosi received news that his wife had been stranded at a nearby location. However, when he arrived there, he did not find her.
“I inquired further about my wife’s possible whereabouts. That’s when I was informed that the vehicle she had been travelling in had been swept away,” he said.
Mandlenkosi said he then faced the unbearable task of explaining his wife’s absence to their two children, aged five and two.
“They keep asking me where their mother is, and it breaks my heart not knowing what to tell them,” he said.
Search and rescue teams continued with work to recover the bodies of the two missing men on Sunday.
Senzelwe Mzila, spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance, confirmed that efforts were ongoing to support affected families while search operations continued.
“The victims identified thus far are aged between 25 and 40. The MEC for COGTA, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and commended the search and rescue teams for their relentless work across various municipal boundaries,” said Mzila.
The uMsinga Local Municipality has pledged to assist the affected families with funeral arrangements.
Mandlenkosi has also called on government officials to prioritise the construction of safer roads and bridges, highlighting the difficulties residents face, particularly during severe weather conditions.
Search and rescue operations continued on Sunday, with disaster management officials remaining on high alert as heavy rainfall persisted across the region.
Authorities have urged motorists to avoid crossing low-lying bridges during inclement weather, warning that rapidly rising water levels can quickly become deadly.
DAILY NEWS