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Families take refuge in churches after Limpopo floods

Limpopo floods displace 40 families, destroy homes

By Thembi Siaga • 19 January 2026
Families take refuge in churches after Limpopo floods

Heavy rainfall forced over 40 families in Limpopo's Mbaula village to abandon their homes, losing everything and seeking shelter in churches. Officials are now seeking safer relocation sites as the devastating floods, declared a national disaster, have caused widespread damage and multiple deaths across the region.

More than 40 families in Mbaula village, outside Giyani in Limpopo, had to abandon their riverside homes after heavy rainfall last week. Since 14 January, they have been sleeping on mats and using borrowed blankets in two local churches. Those displaced include elderly people, children and people with disabilities.

Many households lost everything, including clothes, furniture, livestock, food, identity documents and birth certificates.

“We had no time to save anything but our live...

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