Simango thinks he will probably stay until the end of the month. I will try to start again. But I have no money. Vila Franca do Save has also become a depot for the distribution of food aid, mostly grain and vegetable oil, flown here from the port city of Beira by helicopter. A nearby three-span suspension bridge survived the deluge, but only just.
Unconfirmed reports say it is in a dangerous condition.
People were hanging over the sides. The road now lies at least 10 metres above the Save river and the bridge is open to traffic. But since the road leading south to Maputo, Mozambique's capital, is washed away in several areas, very few cars use the bridge. Although the flood has receded considerably since the deluge, from the vantage point of a German military helicopter, it is clear that large areas of land remain waterlogged. At numerous points during the hour-long flight between Beira and this hamlet, many human footprints leading to terra firma were visible in the mud surrounding former islands.