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South Africa has sent a team to help with rescue efforts after a local politician was swept away by floodwaters while visiting neighbouring Mozambique.<\/p>\n
Andile Mngwevu, a councillor in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg, and four others were in Mozambique’s Gaza province when their car was caught in a flood, officials say.<\/p>\n
Only one of the passengers has been accounted for – the “status and whereabouts of the other occupants remain unconfirmed”, the municipality said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Flooding has devastated parts of both countries and resulted in Mozambican President Daniel Chapo cancelling his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
His South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, confirmed that two helicopters had been deployed to help Mozambique “for a number of days until their situation subsides”.<\/p>\n
Weeks of flooding in Mozambique have damaged infrastructure and killed more than 100 people. According to a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report, 400,000 people have been affected.<\/p>\n
In South Africa, more than 30 people have died in just two provinces since November, according to the government.<\/p>\n
Mozambique has declared a red alert in the wake of the devastating floods while South Africa has announced a national disaster.<\/p>\n
The rainy season has begun in central and northern Mozambique, with further heavy rain forecast across large parts of the country, which is entering its annual cyclone season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n