Limpopo Father Awaits News of Son Missing Since Devastating January Floods
- Lucky Baloyi's five-year-old son went missing during catastrophic Limpopo floods on 15 January 2026
- A national disaster was declared as floods devastated Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and other provinces, claiming lives and destroying homes
- Baloyi's wife survived by climbing a tree while awaiting rescue from the floods that engulfed their village
For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
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MBAULA VILLAGE, LIMPOPO — Lucky Baloyi, whose five-year-old son went missing on 15 January 2026 during the devastating Limpopo floods, is still waiting for news about his son. His wife was caught in a storm and survived by climbing a tree.
According to News24, Baloyi, who lives in Mbaula Village, Limpopo, was in Pretoria, where he sells ice-cream to make ends meet, when his wife called him. She told him that she needed help and tried to get assistance from neighbours with the water that flooded their home. He managed to scrape together money to return to his home village.
Limpopo father opens up about missing child
Baloyi said that when he arrived, he found the village half-destroyed by the floods. He found homes reduced to piles of rubble, trees and telephone poles entangled together, and the stench of rotten food from what used to be kitchens. Baloyi said that his wife is recovering from the hospital, but the emotional torment of possibly losing their son is too much for him to bear. He added that he had already lost a six-year-old child in 2024. His eldest child was at his grandfather's home when the floods hit, and he survived.
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The government declared the floods a national disaster on 18 January 2026 after the death toll increased. The Head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Dr Elias Sithole, said the floods caused a loss of life and devastation in Limpopo and other provinces, including the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Northern Cape.
The heavy rainfall, which is caused by the La Niña weather pattern, also caused floods in Mozambique. The City of Ekurhuleni confirmed that Ekurhuleni's MMC of Transport Andile Mngwevu's vehicle was swept away by the floods. Authorities continue the search for him.
36 homes destroyed in Giyani during floods
In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the floods destroyed 36 homes in Giyani, the same area where Baloyi's son was swept away. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the area and confirmed that Baloyi's son had died. Baloyi's wife was rescued by the South African National Defence Force after she was stuck in the tree for hours.
Ramaposa said that the homes that were swept away were built on the banks of the river. Residents said they lost everything in the floods and did not know where they would sleep.
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Source: Briefly News
