LIMPOPO – Remaining families, many of whom often relive the horrors of that fateful evening, now want government to do excavations in the area and to erect a remembrance wall in honour of those who perished.
Since the event, any year that ends in the number seven, is respected by the Venda and Tsonga tribes and regarded as the year of heavy rain (floods).
Sophy Ngoveni miraculously survived when her family was washed away and perished in the events of 1977, regarded by many locals as the disaster of the century.
Another survivor, Samson Ramashia (64) who moved from Luvhola, Maholoni side before the mudslide, said it was a horrific tragedy.
“It happened while the village was asleep. The rumble from the mountain buried people alive with their livestock at the Maholoni side. Some corpses and the carcasses of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs were found, while others were never recovered.
“The village smelled of blood and death,” he said.
“The area was under Nesengani as the senior traditional leader. If government do excavations, they will found the bones of those never recovered.”
He continued: “At the time, people moved from Luvhola, Maholoni to Tshino and other parts of the former Venda homeland, fearing another disaster.
“My father moved to Chavane due to a fear of mosquitos at Tshino where most of the Venda people were going,” he said.
Although most people believe the event at Luvhola was a natural disaster, Chief Thilivhali Neluvhola Mukwevho whose forefathers were the early inhabitants, said the mountain collapsed because some people at the time were said to have disrespected some holy ornaments, spears and other items, including a shrine.
According to Mukwevho, they have submitted documents to the Kgatla Commission to have their chieftaincy restored.
“We are going to apply for funds, so that we can build a wall of remembrance here at the foot of the mountain. We also plan to stage a Luvhola Day to commemorate those who died, and that will please our ancestors. It will be easier for tourists to know what happened here.
“This is our ancestral place and there is a big snake, yellowish in colour, that guards the mountain. We also had a baboon that used to alert the Vha-Kwevhos if the harvest is ready on the field,” said Mukwevho.
Another survivor Rosie Phosa shares her story
Rosie Phosa (65) currently stays in Elim.
In the 1977 Luvhola mudslide, she lost her mother, Mthabine Hlongwane, grandfather, Johannes Hlongwane, brother, November Hlongwane, sisters Hlekani Hlongwane and Manana Hlongwane, aunt Mamaila Baloyi, cousins Chingi Baloyi and Muraga Baloyi and a bride, Rosetta Baloyi.
Of those lost, the remains of only five were recovered.
Rosie too would like to honour her fallen family members.
“There was no mortuary to store the bodies, thus why we quickly dug a very shallow grave and buried grandfather and Changi in the same grave.
“My mother and aunt were also buried in the same grave and they were no blankets to even wrap the bodies,” she said.
Rosie, who believes she survived the event as she was married and stayed at the other side of the mountains, said when she arrived at her parents’ house, there was literally nothing.
“There was no house. Everything were swept away, including their livestock.”
Still, 40 years is a long time when one has to grieve the loss of almost an entire family.
“I sometimes visit the grave site and clear the bush. It is still painful to me. I would be happy if government could do something like erecting a wall of remembrance of excavation to search the remains of those whose bodies were not found,” she said.
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