Human Head Discovered in Nkomazi River Amid Search for Missing SANDF Soldier

• A body believed to be that of the missing South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member has been found
• The body was discovered in the Nkomazi River between South Africa and Mozambique
• This comes after an incident on 25 December 2025, where two SANDF members were swept away by floodwaters

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

MPUMALANGA - Human remains believed to be linked to a missing South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member have been discovered in the Nkomazi River along the South Africa–Mozambique border.

Fisherman found human head floating

Mpumalanga police said a fisherman found a human head floating in a remote part of the river. The discovery comes after two SANDF members were swept away by floodwaters on Christmas Day, 25 December 2025, while conducting Operation Corona patrols aimed at securing the country’s borders. One of the bodies was recovered a day later.

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Police spokesperson Donald Mdhluli said the remains have not yet been identified and that DNA testing will be carried out to confirm whether they belong to the missing soldier. He added that the search has been temporarily suspended and is expected to resume on Tuesday, 30 December 2025.

Weather during the festive season

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) warned of conditions that the weather phenomenon La Niña will bring from December to April 2026. SAWS predicted that the country would experience thundershowers and damaging storms from Christmas until New Year's Day. SAWS said that weather conditions will be partly cloudy and warm-to-cool in much of South Africa. The country will also experience isolated thundershowers and scattered showers, particularly in the eastern and central parts.

The severe thunderstorms caused damage in KwaZulu-Natal on 26 December 2025. A total of 125 homes were destroyed, and three residents were injured when the severe thunderstorms were accompanied by damaging rainfall, which caused flooding. In eMadlangeni, particularly in Utrecht wards 2, 3 and 5, more than 20 homes were completely destroyed, while three people were injured and are receiving medical treatment. In Dannhauser, around 115 households were affected, with 30 homes reported to have been fully destroyed.

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South African National Defence Force officer swept away by floods in Mpumalanga, search continues

A desperate recovery operation is underway in New Hanover, KwaZulu-Natal, following heavy rains in the area, which left three people missing. The three individuals were swept away by severe flooding in the uMshwathi Local Municipality. Officials confirmed that the three missing people were a 20-year-old female, a 40-year-old female and a 30-year-old male.

5 bodies recovered in KZN flooding

In a related article, Briefly News reported that KwaZulu-Natal's disaster management recovered five bodies that had been washed away during the recent heavy flooding in the province.

The victims were swept away in Lamontville. Three of the victims were children, while two of them were elderly members of society. The Thekwini Municipality said it would assist with their burials.

Source: Briefly News