A trip to collect money from a piece job ended tragically for a Limpopo man when his son, who accompanied him, was swept away by flood water.
Takalani Munyai, 60, said he is devastated as his son Lindelani, 22, has not been found since the Sambandou River in Vhembe swallowed him on Tuesday.
Vhembe and other northern parts of the province have been lashed by rains in the past few days, which have left a trail of destruction in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Munyai and his son were trying to cross the Mutale bridge into Mangaya when tragedy struck.
Lindelani’s older sister, Tshifiwa Ndanduleni said, as they were crossing the bridge, her father slipped into the water.
“Lindelani followed my father in an attempt to rescue him. They reached for a branch and held onto it but they were trapped. My father swam out and went to look for people who could help Lindelani. Unfortunately Lindelani was overpowered by the water.”
By Thursday morning, rescuers had not found him.
Ndanduleni said the family is heartbroken.
“Police said there is not much they can do because the river is full and the rain is heavy.”
The family appealed to anyone who stays in villages near Mutale River to be on the lookout.
Lindelani had started a new job in Johannesburg four months ago and was on a break when disaster struck.
His older brother, Emmanuel Matamba, said he supported his father financially. He matriculated in 2024.
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