Three months later, the Makroti family in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, buries their daughter who died during the floods.
Twelve-year-old Liqhawe Makroti’s body was discovered on 28 June 2025.
ALSO READ | Womanʼs body found in Pinetown river after heavy floods
The Liqhawe was a grade 5 pupil at Bambanani Primary School when her Slovo township home was washed away by the floods on 10 June.
The number of people who died as a result of drowning from the Makroti family was five, two being a helper and her child.
Two family members of the Makroti family were buried on 5 July 2025, but the family was instructed to do a DNA examination before Liqhawe’s body could be released.
The results came back, and the body was positively identified as Liqhawe’s.
Family member Bathandwa Makroti said the body arrived at Macosa Village near Mqanduli, at the Makroti homestead at 7am on Friday, 24 October.
“This was to be followed by the burial service at the Makroti homestead on Saturday,” she said.
Bathandwa said the death of five people living in the same household was devastating.
“We looked for them, and not knowing if we will find them was painful. We did not even have the time to mourn them as we had to look for their bodies,” she said.
Bathandwa said during the search they had hoped to find the victims alive.
“It was traumatising to go to forensics and identifying family members in the piles of dead bodies. I always came home empty-handed,” she said.
“I used to go up and down the river looking for them, picked up bricks hoping to find the kids, but I did not. When I found them on 28 July, I was happy.”
She said Liqhawe’s body was found on 30 July 2025.
“When we wanted to bury them, we were told we cannot, as DNA needs to be done on her to prove it was really Liqhawe.
ALSO READ | Heavy floods in KZN causes damage that is estimated to cost R3.1 billion
“As the family, we were sure that it was her and were shocked they wanted DNA while it was never an issue to the other four,” she said.
Bathandwa thanked all those who helped to look for the family members.
