Desperation is mounting in Gunda village, Limpopo, where residents say they are trapped as relentless floods batter the province, washing away roads.
David Mdakuseni, who lives in the village with his wife and grandchildren, said food supplies are rapidly running out.
“Our biggest worry is what will happen in an emergency because the roads are damaged,” he said. “It’s difficult to find bread in the shops. Even mealie meal is running out.
“People are sending pictures to their bosses so that they don’t lose their jobs. The situation is scary. We don’t know how long it is going to be like this,” he said.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: “We are running out of food, and the spaza shops also don’t have enough groceries because no one can leave our village. Please help us.”
The South African Weather Service on Thursday issued a Red Level 10 warning for disruptive rainfall over parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, an escalation from the Orange Level 9 warnings that had been in place over the past few days.
The two provinces have been hit hard by severe rainfall, with floods claiming 19 lives in the past week, according to Sowetan. Mpumalanga has recorded 14 fatalities and Limpopo five, based on figures from the disaster management centre.
As Limpopo enters its fifth consecutive day of flooding, many roads have been severely damaged or completely washed away.
Malcolm Nephawe, chair of the YA Gunda Civic Organisation, said the crisis is compounded by long-standing infrastructure failures. He recalled that in 2021, the Limpopo public works department began road construction in the area after a child drowned during floods.
“They only paved a small portion of the road and promised to come back and redo it, but nothing happened,” Nephawe said.
“There are bridges here, and when it rains, people can’t do anything.”
Limpopo police said SAPS pilots, search and rescue teams, the SANDF and other emergency services have been deployed in the province to assist residents stranded by the flooding.
“These operations are ongoing as the situation remains dangerous and unpredictable,” police said.
The public has been urged to co-operate with authorities as efforts continue to save lives and secure vulnerable communities.
TimesLIVE
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