South Africa floods: Malawian migrants decry gov’t neglect

A search and rescue team member looks for bodies with the help of a dog following torrential rains that triggered floods and mudslides, in Umbumbulu, near Durban, South Africa on April 18, 2022 [Rogan Ward/Reuters]

Earlier this month, Edina Maliwa, 25 was asleep in her home in the Mariannhill community of the KwaZulu-Natal province after a tiring shift as a maid when a deafening sound awoke her.

“I didn’t know what it was at first until I got off my bed,” Maliwa said in a telephone interview from a neighbouring town where a friend had taken her in. “I was submerged in water to my ankles, that’s when I knew that I was in trouble.”