RismadarVoice Reporters
January 18, 2026
South Africa has declared a national disaster following widespread flooding that has destroyed homes, claimed dozens of lives, while forcing thousands of people to flee to neighboring Mozambique.
The declaration was made on Sunday by the head of South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre, Elias Sithole, after weeks of heavy rains and storms battered parts of the country.
More than 30 people have been confirmed dead in South Africa’s Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, where overflowing rivers submerged communities, washed away infrastructure.
Rescue teams have continued search-and-recovery operations, although floodwaters have begun to recede in some areas.
The Kruger National Park, which was shut, evacuated last Thursday due to flooding, has announced that day visits will resume, while urging visitors to exercise caution.
Across the border in Mozambique, the situation remains critical. Floodwaters have swallowed entire neighbourhoods, displacing thousands of residents.
Rescue efforts have been slow to reach some survivors who have been stranded on rooftops and in trees.
At least eight deaths have been officially recorded in Mozambique since December 21, but authorities and civil society groups warn the figure is likely to rise as more people are reported missing.
One resident of Gaza Province, north of the capital Maputo, told reporters that her sister-in-law was forced to give birth on a rooftop while the family waited days for rescue.
Meanwhile, South Africa has dispatched rescue teams to southern Mozambique after a vehicle carrying members of a South African mayoral delegation was swept away by floodwaters in Chokwe, about 200 kilometres north of Maputo.
According to the Mozambican government, more than 173,000 people have been affected by the flooding nationwide.
Authorities in both countries say emergency response efforts are ongoing as weather conditions continue to improve gradually.
