Her rescue once symbolised hope, but Rosita's death now raises uncomfortable questions about what South Africa has lost.
It is sad that Rosita Salvador Mabuiango – the Mozambican woman who became known worldwide as a “miracle baby” after being born during the devastating floods of 2000 – and plucked to safety by a South African Air Force (SAAF) helicopter – has died following a long illness.
The photo of her and her mother being winched to safety in a BK 117 chopper above swirling muddy water went around the world – at once a symbol of hope, as well as the triumph of the human spirit.
Rosita, even though she lost her struggle in the end, was gifted more than 25 years of a life celebrated by her family.
The news is also a timely reminder of the importance of the “support to the civil power” function of the SA National Defence Force.
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A well-equipped military can save lives, as well as take them. The helicopters of 22 Squadron of the SA Air Force (SAAF) gave a hand in recent days to aerial firefighting efforts in the fire-tortured Western Cape.
Sadly, because our government has consistently underfunded our military for the past three decades, that exercise was little more than a display, because the SAAF doesn’t have the budget to do more.
Today, we couldn’t save another Rosita…
