The waters have risen, and with them, the predators. In a horror movie scenario brought to life, residents of southern Mozambique are battling not just biblical floods, but crocodiles stalking the submerged streets of their towns.

Since late December 2025, a relentless deluge has pounded the region, swelling the Limpopo and Incomati rivers to bursting point. The disaster has now displaced over 600,000 people, but the human toll is being compounded by a terrifying new threat. In Xai-Xai, the provincial capital of Gaza, authorities have issued urgent warnings as crocodiles, displaced from their natural habitats, hunt in the murky floodwaters that now cover residential neighborhoods.

A Regional Catastrophe

Satellite imagery from NASA confirms the scale of the devastation. What was once farmland is now an inland sea. The humanitarian situation is critical, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning of a cholera outbreak as sewage systems fail.

• The Toll: At least 12 confirmed dead, though the true number is likely higher as remote areas remain cut off.
• The Disruption: The main highway linking Maputo to the rest of the country has been severed, paralyzing relief efforts and trade.
• The Wildlife Conflict: "We are sleeping on rooftops," said one survivor. "If the water doesn't get you, the animals might."

The Climate Reality

This is not a freak event; it is the new normal. Southern Africa is trapped in a cycle of extreme weather—drought one year, deluge the next. As Mozambique calls for international aid, the question for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is clear: how do we build resilience when the very geography is turning against us?

For now, the focus is on rescue. But as the waters recede, the scars—both physical and psychological—will remain for a generation.