Watching their bed and breakfast being flooded by water as they tried to escape the heavy rains was one of the most ‘heartbreaking and traumatic’ experiences for a Phalaborwa couple.  

Leon du Plessis (55) and his 56-year-old wife Brenda have owned Kambaku 2 Boat Safaris and Lodge for the past 30 years.   

The lodge is situated on the banks of the Olifants River in the Greater Kruger National Park, just south of Phalaborwa, Limpopo.  

Since earlier this week, both Limpopo and Mpumalanga have been hit by heavy rainfall.  

Yesterday, the Kruger National Park closed its gates to day visitors, and the South African Weather Service issued a level 10 weather warning for further heavy rain until Monday.  

‘Time to go!’ 

Tanya van Eeden, the couple’s daughter, says just after 16:00 on Wednesday, her father noticed water levels in the Olifants River were rising.  

“Concerned that the lodge would be flooded, he drove to the water board on three separate occasions to tell them to open the gates [at the Phalaborwa barrage] to release some of the water. Each time he went to the water board, they reassured him they would open the gate,” says Van Eeden.  

She says during his third drive, at around 19:00, he noticed the water levels in the river were extremely high, so he drove back to the lodge to evacuate her mother, her 72-year-old grandmother, a guest from Ireland who had booked a two-month stay, 14 staff members and their pets. 

Her father got her mother, grandmother, the guest and pets into the car and tried to drive out of the area, but got stuck on the road. They walked for about two hours, battling heavy rain, to the lodge’s workshop to get cellphone signal to call Van Eeden for help.  

“I heard my father say, ‘We are flooding; send help’. I was in shock, but I remembered he told me the previous day to call Deidre Carter from Agri Limpopo if we needed assistance. I called her, and she arranged for a helicopter to pick them and the staff up.”  

The family and staff were rescued just after midnight and taken to the Impala Park centre in Phalaborwa. 

Family left devastated 

“This was such a traumatic experience for us. My grandmother had a knee operation a month ago and she is still in recovery. She had to walk to the workshop. I thought I was never going to see my parents again. They are so heartbroken. They watched the beds and furniture from the lodge wash away. They basically fled with just the clothing on their bodies,” says Van Eeden.  

She says they will only know the way forward once they can go back to the lodge and view the damage.  

For now, a local bed and breakfast is providing the family with accommodation until January 21.  

Van Eeden says initially the lodge was a fishing spot created for family and friends, but over time the peaceful setting drew in more wildlife and visitors.  

“This inspired my parents to build a lodge. We have had visitors from all over the country and the world. We now hope to restore the lodge to what it once was.” 

• This article has been amended since it was first published. The first version of the article stated that Deidre Carter is from AgriForum. She is, in fact, from Agri Limpopo.

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