Search intensifies for missing Ekurhuleni MMC swept away by Mozambique floods

The South African government has released further details regarding an incident involving a high-profile politician believed to have gone missing in Mozambique due to severe inclement weather.

READ: SA rescue teams join search for Ekurhuleni MMC missing in Mozambique floods

Ekurhuleni’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Roads and Transport, Andile Mngwevu, was reportedly swept away by floodwaters on Saturday.

Authorities are currently relying on information provided by one of the occupants who was in the same vehicle as Mngwevu during the disaster. Hours after the Ekurhuleni Metro confirmed the MMC’s disappearance, government officials have been able to verify specific details surrounding the incident.

The South African High Commission in Mozambique confirmed that the event took place in the Chokwé area, located in the northern Gaza Province.

A survivor who managed to escape the submerged vehicle confirmed that the MMC was still inside when the car was overtaken and swept away by the current.

Clayson Monyela, Head of Public Diplomacy at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), stated that five people were originally in the vehicle. He noted that the status of the other four occupants, including the MMC, has yet to be confirmed by rescue teams on the ground.

In response to the crisis, two military helicopters have been dispatched to assist with the search and rescue efforts. Monyela explained that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is sending the aircraft to specific zones, with one helicopter assigned to Maputo Province and the other to Gaza Province, where the incident involving Mngwevu occurred.

The government maintains that it is not leaving anything to chance and is utilising all available resources to locate the missing MMC and the other passengers who remain unaccounted for.