‘Agony in her voice difficult to listen to’ – journalist recounts Moz horror

More South Africans are expected to return home as survivors from the recent attacks in Palma start arriving at various safe posts around the Themba province in Mozambique.

Over the weekend, the department of defence and military veterans said it was concerned about the security situation at Cabo Delgado in the northern part of Mozambique.

The department said the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is providing support to the South African high commission (SAHC) concerning the repatriation of those South Africans who may wish to return.

“Government can confirm that, with the exception of one person who died tragically in the violence, more than 50 South Africans who were reported missing through the high commission in Maputo have been accounted for.”

The department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco) initially said 43 South Africans were affected by the attack.

No one could confirm exactly how many South Africans are still to be repatriated.

South African BBC correspondent and journalist Vumani Mkhize spoke to The Citizen yesterday after returning from Pemba on Sunday.

“As we flew over Pemba last week it looked like paradise. But for the survivors on the ground, they had just been through hell,” Vumani said.

“At the harbour, I witnessed a ferry carrying over a thousand people. They had been evacuated from Palma. They were greeted by anxious family members. I witnessed grown men crying openly, lost children who had been plucked from the bush looking up at the adults hoping one of them was their mother or father.”

Vumani said there was a woman’s cry he will never forget.

“The agony in her voice as she recounted how her two sons were killed at the Amarula Hotel was difficult to listen to. I put my hand on her shoulder as a small gesture, but I doubt it made any difference.”

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.