Family scours river for missing businessman swept away by floodwaters

The family of 36-year-old missing Somali national businessman whose bakkie was swept away by strong currents during the floods in Dzindi river at Tswinga village near Thohoyandou, Limpopo, has taken it upon themselves to search for their relative.

Businessman Nur Ali together with a man whose identity is unknown, were swept away while crossing an overflowing low-lying bridge. The vehicle was retrieved about 300 metres downstream from the bridge on Sunday last week.

Rescue teams conducted a search operation, but only his bakkie was recovered. The search teams from Gauteng and Limpopo stopped searching three days ago, after the recovery of the vehicle.

His brother Mohamed Ali, who travelled from the Netherlands, has spent the past week in Tswinga village, searching, together with his countrymen, close relatives and friends.

The family is under emotional strain.

“When you lose somebody, a dear brother, very valuable and you don’t know dead or alive you don’t know where he is at the moment because now we just have to forget and forgive but he is not found and it is very difficult to see whether he is alive or dead back home the family, mother, sisters and other brothers are worrying, they don’t sleep well they always communicate where is the boy now so that’s the current situation happening now.”

Somalian’s Community Chairperson in the Vhembe District, Abdulahi Roble Jes says they are distressed.

“The team rescue team did their final search on 28th of theJanuary and I mean January but what we can say is that the South African government the local government national level they do the best to search our brother but we still worry about we didn’t find our brother so we hope that one day we will find and us as a community and family we are busy searching so we still have hope to get our brother.”

Pastor Phanuel Netshitungulu says they are also concerned, they want the families to find closure.

“We feel are in pain, this man was good to the community is unfortunate what happened to him, as the community there’s nothing that we can do. I hope they can find the body so that the family can have closure.”

Police however say the search for the persons swept away by flood waters, including that of a five year old boy from Mbaula village outside Giyani will resume on Monday.

The family of 36-year-old missing Somali national businessman whose bakkie was swept away by strong currents in the river at Tswinga village outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo, has taken it upon themselves to search for their relative. Businessman, Nur Ali, together with a man whose… pic.twitter.com/xIn0G3kYoi

— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 1, 2026