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Limpopo woman drowns after car swept off in flooded river

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Police say a 37-year-old woman has drowned after a car she was driving was allegedly swept away while attempting to cross a flooded bridge between Tshitavha and Vuwa, outside Louis Trichardt, in Limpopo.

Jane Dombo was driving back home after taking her child to the local bus stop to catch transport to school. Heavy rains have caused damage to the road infrastructure, businesses, homes and Siloam Hospital.

Heavy rains in the northern parts of the country have caused damage to roads, bridges and buildings.

Agricultural schemes alongside the Nzhelele river are submerged in water as the river is overflowing. Affected residents at Ha-Rabali, Sendedza and other villages spent the day clearing up after the destruction.

Elekenyani Mafunzwaini says bags of maize meal were destroyed at the local shop in Sendedza section in Nzhelele, and they are still clearing up.

“It heavily rained and there was water all over the road. It destroyed bags and bags of mealie meal and chicken feed. We are busy doing mop-up operations,” says Mafunzwaini.

A makeshift bridge collapses at a Limpopo village, leaving residents stranded

A resident at Tshedza village, Dorris Radzilani and other communities took part in the search for Jane Dombo’s body after her car was swept away.

“We came and witnessed the wreck after the car was swept away. After we lifted up the car the driver was nowhere to be found. Community members searched for her down the river and her body was discovered far away down the river at Tshitavha village. The rain caused a lot of damage and it seems it’s still coming. We are afraid it’s still going to rain and it will finish off the damaged bridge and caused more troubles in the community,” says the resident.

Attempts to get a comment from the Dombo family were not successful.

Meanwhile, Ward 30 councillor at the Makhado Local Municipality, Fhumulani Madzhiga says plans are under way to finish the construction of a tarred road linking Tshedza and Vuvha villages.

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