In Mbaula village, Limpopo, a home-based carer named Maggie Sethagane delivered a baby girl amid devastating January floods that isolated the community from medical facilities. The birth, under improvised conditions without equipment, symbolized resilience in the face of disaster. The newborn, named Kutshemba meaning 'hope' in Xitsonga, was later confirmed healthy.
Floodwaters from a low-pressure system originating in Mozambique swept through Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces starting on Wednesday, 14 January, causing widespread destruction including gutted homes, washed-away roads, and over 30 deaths. Mbaula village in Giyani, Limpopo, was among the hardest hit, leaving residents cut off from essential services like the nearby Makhuva clinic.
Maggie Sethagane, a community health worker employed as a contract carer by the Makhuva clinic since 2001, stepped into an unexpected role as midwife. Late one evening during the floods, pregnant resident Evidence Ramoshaba arrived at Sethagane's door in severe pain from contractions, seeking help to reach the clinic. However, swollen rivers had blocked all routes, making travel impossible.
"I told her, ‘It is impossible for me to take you to the clinic because there is no road. It has rained a lot. And even if we used the road through Phalaubeni… to get to Makhuva clinic, there is a river ahead. We won’t be able to pass,’" Sethagane recounted. With no alternatives, Ramoshaba returned home, but hours later, her family summoned Sethagane again as the labor intensified.
Without medical gloves, a razor, or any equipment—items typically provided by the clinic on an as-needed basis—Sethagane guided the delivery. "I told her, ‘Push, push, push, there is no other way’. She pushed, and the child came out," she said. The baby remained attached via the umbilical cord overnight until the next morning, when Sethagane and Ramoshaba's mother obtained a razor and wool to safely cut it and dispose of the placenta.
The girl, born amid the chaos, was named Kutshemba, reflecting the slim chances of survival. Sethagane described the event as a miracle: "This child was born on the day of the disaster... God performed a miracle by making sure this child was born okay, even though she wasn’t born in a clinic." Ramoshaba, who endured three days of pain without medication, added, "It was 10pm or 10.30pm, and the rain was falling hard... there was no way we could leave the village."
The baby was not checked until three days later on 19 January, once roads partially cleared, and both mother and child were found healthy. Sethagane highlighted ongoing healthcare challenges in Mbaula, a village without its own clinic, forcing long, costly trips for care. "If only the government could come and build a clinic for us…" she said, noting risks for conditions like diabetes or childbirth. A monthly mobile clinic provides limited relief, but permanent access remains elusive. The Limpopo Department of Health had not responded to inquiries about interventions for such remote areas.