A fishing outing nearly turned tragic for four people from the Malale and Madimbo village when the flooding Limpopo River swept them away and washed them out onto a small island for five days.
For Ms Emely Mutavhatsindi (40), Ms Ndoweni Munyai (47), Mr Kedibone Funanani (53) and Mr Booi Munyai (54), their day out to go fishing turned into a nightmare they never want to go through again.
The group got trapped on an island between the Nwanedi and Limpopo river at Harangani village, in the Masisi policing area, on Thursday, 16 February. They had to spend five dreadful days on the little piece of dry land, not knowing whether help was on its way or not. They were finally rescued by emergency members of the SAPS's K9 unit and Water and Air Wing, who were alerted to the situation at around 17:00 on Tuesday (21 February). After being rescued, the four people were immediately taken to the local clinic for medical treatment but were soon discharged.
One of the survivors, Ms Ndoweni Munyai, said none of them would ever forget the experience. "We could see the water level rising higher and higher and thought we were going to die on that island. I thank God that we are still alive. For now, we will take a break from fishing, even though we do not have any other livelihood," she said.
The local traditional leader of Madimbo, Vhamusanda Vho-Thiwelimulambo Rammbuda, said they were shocked and at the same time very worried about the stranded group. "We always warn residents not to venture into the river. This river is infested with crocodiles and hippos that can kill, but our warnings fall on deaf ears. We are again making a call to all to desist from fishing at the river as it is now also flooded. We know many make a living out of selling fish, but it is very dangerous, and people should just stay away from the rivers," he said.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed the incident and added that Provincial Police Commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe had praised the rescue team for ensuring that the stranded people were returned to their families safely.