As rivers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo swell from heavy rains, neighbouring Mozambique is also once again facing devastating floods in its central and southern regions.  

The story of Rosita Salvador Mabuiango (25), who passed away on Monday at Chibuto Rural Hospital after a long battle with anaemia, reminds the nation of its vulnerability to floods – she was famously born in a tree during the catastrophic 2000 Limpopo River floods. 

She became a symbol of hope in her country after her mother, Carolina Cecilia Chirindza, climbed the tree to escape the rising waters and gave birth in its branches. Hundreds lost their lives in the floods, and many more were displaced – but Mabuiango was celebrated as the country’s ‘miracle baby’.  

The South African Air Force stepped in to rescue victims, including Mabuiango.  

In 2010, she was invited to the South African Parliament and taken under the wing by the then minister of defence, Lindiwe Sisulu, in an effort to highlight the South African National Defence Force’s peacekeeping role in Africa. 

Earlier this week, the BBC reported that in an interview with a local TV station, Chirindza said that her daughter had anaemia and was suffering from tuberculosis. 

Mozambique President Daniel Chapo told the BBC that Mabuiango was a symbol for girls in Mozambique. “That’s why I extend my condolences to all the Mozambican people, especially to Mozambican girls,” he said.  

Flooding in SA 

Currently, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, two South African provinces that border Mozambique, are experiencing widespread rain and thunderstorms.  

According to a report by eNCA, Mpumalanga has recorded 14 deaths, while the number of fatalities in Limpopo remains at five. 

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