‘Worst in living memory’ say those rescued from rising waters

Tens of thousands of people are being rescued in Mozambique as rising waters continue to devastate the southern African country; This is the worst flood in a generation.

Teams from Brazil, South Africa and the UK are assisting with life-saving rescue operations.

Tomaz Antonio Mlau, a 24-year-old mechanic, said, “This is the first time I have encountered a disaster of this magnitude. Old people say that a similar disaster happened in the 1990s.” he says.

Mlau and his family, who live near the town of Marracuene, 30 km (19 miles) north of the capital Maputo, woke up to find their home flooded after the Inkomati River burst its banks.

“When a rescue boat came a few hours afterwards, we did not hesitate to board it and come to safety in Marracuene town,” he said, adding they had to abandon all their belongings and only managed to bring a change of clothes.

Mlau, his wife and two children took refuge in one of six centers (schools and churches) that have sheltered around 4,000 people so far.

Most of those gathered at Gwazamutini Secondary School are farmers from low-lying areas with livestock and rice fields.

“We lost everything in the floodwaters, including houses, televisions, refrigerators, clothes and livestock (cattle, goats and pigs). Our farms are under water. I am a farmer. I grow quality rice,” 67-year-old Francisco Fernando Chivindzi told me.

His house is located in Hobjana, one of several flooded neighborhoods between the left bank of the Incomati River and the coastal tourist resort of Macaneta. The town of Marracuene is on the right bank of the river.

Chivindzi said, “Flood waters reached levels we did not expect. We have never experienced this level of flooding in my life.” he said.

“We’re happy to be on higher ground here. But we’re very worried about all our belongings being left behind.”

The farmer expressed his gratitude to the boat owners who came to help him and his neighbors free of charge, and called on others to rescue them.

“We hear that there are some people who are still resisting, clinging to treetops and rooftops. I wish they would listen to the rescuers and join us in this temporary shelter. We must value life over property,” said the father of nine children.

This was a view also expressed by Shafee Sidat, mayor of Marracuene municipality, who visited Gwazamutini Secondary School on Saturday.

“We still have people to save, and some of them refuse to leave risk areas. It’s a challenge. Overall, we estimate more than 10,000 people are affected in Marracuene,” he told me.

According to provisional data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, at least 642,122 people have been affected by floods since January 7; 12 deaths have been recorded so far, especially in the southern and central regions.

A total of 125 people have died in Mozambique since the start of the rainy season in October.

Mayor Sidat fears the situation will worsen due to heavy rains in neighboring South Africa, the source of the Inkomati River.

“We are concerned about the release of a dam on the Inkomati River in South Africa. Our town is the last town downriver,” the mayor said.

“The waters inundate low-lying ‘machambas’ (agricultural lands), houses and grazing areas before flowing into the Indian Ocean.”

Some aerial images show water as far as the eye can see. Hundreds of families are isolated from each other.

All vehicles are now banned from driving on the roads between the northern provinces of Maputo and Gaza.

Transport Minister João Matlombe said this was due to the flooding of major roads, especially the N1 highway, which runs the entire length of the country and is the only link to the north.

The suspension is already causing shortages and price hikes for staples, including coconuts and fuel – even as far away as the northwestern city of Tete, more than 1,500 km from Maputo.

Food is also a challenge for those living in shelters in Marracuene.

“There is not enough food to eat yet,” said Aninha Vicente Mivinga, who has two children aged two and five.

“On the first day of Friday there was almost nothing to eat. It was painful to see the children sleeping without eating anything except biscuits. Things have improved today,” he said.

Mivinga, a police officer and farmer in his spare time, described how he was at work in the town of Marracuene when his home in Hobjana was flooded.

The 32-year-old young man had taken his children to his family members living in high places as a precaution due to the constant rain, but they were also affected by the rising waters.

“It was horrific to learn that my children and other members of my family were in floodwaters and in danger of dying. I was devastated and completely shaken,” the officer said.

“Finally my relatives were brought to safety.

“This is the first time a flood of this magnitude has affected us since I was born.”

Mivinga said students should resume classes soon and wanted authorities to find them permanent alternative accommodation.

Hundreds of people are now camping out in classrooms, using a traditional wrapping cloth as bedding to lie on.

“I believe that when the flood waters subside, everyone will want to return home, but this is very risky. I wish the authorities could give us another place on safer ground. We would return to the risky area only for farming purposes, but we would live on safer ground,” the police officer said.

Education Minister Samaria Tovela hinted that the cabinet would consider rescheduling the start of the 2026 academic year, which was originally scheduled to start next week, “to allow flood victims to continue using them as accommodation centres, especially in Maputo and Gaza provinces, which are currently the most affected.”

Unsure whether the flood waters will recede before schools open, Chivindzi is determined to return home.

“We will start life from scratch,” says the farmer.

Unable to go to the garage where he works, Mlau is less sure about the future and the risks of starting over from the same place.

“Even if the waters recede, I’m not sure I’ll go back there.”