A Lifeline from the Sky: SANDF Aircrews Rescue Nearly 500 as Mozambique Flood Crisis Deepens

As floodwaters continue to devastate southern and central Mozambique, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has become a critical lifeline, airlifting 479 people to safety in a large-scale humanitarian operation. The rescue mission, dubbed Operation CHARIOT, involves specialised teams and air assets working around the clock to reach communities isolated by the deluge.

According to SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Selinah Rawlins, the South African Air Force has deployed an Oryx helicopter and two Agusta 109 light-utility helicopters to conduct daring airlifts, evacuating stranded residents from inundated areas to places of safety. “Rescue teams are working tirelessly,” Rawlins said, highlighting the crucial role of air power in accessing cut-off regions.

A Coordinated Regional Effort

Operation CHARIOT is being conducted in close cooperation with the Mozambican government and local disaster management agencies. Its objectives are clear: save lives, evacuate those at risk, and deliver humanitarian aid to a region where thousands of families have been displaced and critical infrastructure severely damaged.

The Ongoing Search for a Missing Official

Amidst the broader rescue effort, a focused search continues for Andile Mngwevu, the Ekurhuleni Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Roads and Transport, who remains missing after the vehicle he was travelling in was swept away by floodwaters in Chokwé earlier this week.

Authorities have confirmed there were five people in the vehicle. While contact has been established with one survivor, the fate of Mngwevu and the three other occupants is still unknown. The SANDF has deployed helicopters to assist Mozambican authorities in the search, and Mngwevu’s family has travelled to Mozambique as operations intensify.

The City of Ekurhuleni has appealed for privacy, urging the public and media to avoid speculation while rescue teams, supported by South African and Mozambican authorities as well as the Department of International Relations, continue their painstaking work.

For the nearly 500 people already rescued, the whirring rotors of an SANDF helicopter meant survival. For the families of those still missing, including Mngwevu’s, the ongoing operation represents a fragile, enduring hope against the rising waters.