A 44-year-old woman who was swept away by raging floods in Mpumalanga has been found.
The woman’s body was found on Thursday morning, a day after the tragic incident.
Woman’s body swept away
It is understood that she was swept away by a strong current while attempting to cross a stream in Msholozi, White River, Mpumalanga, on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
Her lifeless body was found by men who were searching downstream.
ALSO READ: Gift of the Givers have hands full with relief requests in flood-ravaged Limpopo
Search
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said they received an alert about the incident on Wednesday.
“Due to the consistent rain, we could not retrieve the body, and we could not find her. In the morning, the police and community members searched the riverbanks and found her just five kilometres downriver. The family has identified the body.”
[BREAKING NEWS] The body of a woman, who was swept away by floods while trying to cross a stream in Msholozi, Mpumalanga, has been found. @mwelimasilela has more.https://t.co/Of6WMQLJ5q pic.twitter.com/L2Q2ysKX3A
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 15, 2026
Drownings
Ndubane said there have been several drownings in Mpumalanga.
“Since December [2024], there have been a lot of people who have drowned or been swept away by rivers, and also our acting provincial commissioner, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, is going to call a meeting with stakeholders espcially since the schools have opened and the rivers are now full.”
Warning
With persistent rainfall in Mpumalanga continuing, the public has been urged not to attempt to cross flooded rivers and streams in the Lowveld.
Flooding
Mpumalanga and Limpopo are grappling with severe weather conditions, as relentless rainfall has caused widespread flooding, school closures, infrastructure damage, and flight suspensions.
*This is a developing story.
ALSO READ: Flights to and from Limpopo grounded amid heavy rain and flooding
