Boreholes dry up as Sarah Baartman drought crisis worsens

Farmers’ boreholes in the drought-ravaged Sarah Baartman District Municipality are drying up.

DA MPL Retief Odendaal lashed out at the provincial government in a statement on Wednesday, saying it was doing nothing to assist farmers though the Eastern Cape was still suffering from one of the worst droughts in its history.

Odendaal said he had conducted oversight inspections in Aberdeen, Willowmore, Jansenville and Steytlerville and found farmers still suffering.

“During a visit to these areas last week, several farmers confirmed how boreholes in their districts are starting to dry up due to the dwindling underground water table.

“In certain areas where there is still groundwater, the water quality is deteriorating and will soon be completely unusable.

“Many farmers in these areas have already been purchasing feed and fodder for years, in a desperate, but unsustainable, attempt to try to keep their livestock alive.

“The purchase of feed puts significant financial pressure on disheartened farmers, who in many cases have not yet received any assistance from the provincial government.”

In November, the Weekend Post reported that the drought in Aberdeen was so severe that sheep, goats and cows turned to eating cactus plants and died because of the sores caused by the needles.

One of the farmers, Marlon de Jager, said the situation had worsened since then.

“It’s very bad because one of my boreholes has dried up and I’m down to the one I dug in October 2019.” 

In November, De Jager had to push a 50m pipe into the borehole to get water.

He said this was his only source of water for the centre-pivot irrigation system to water the lucerne he recently planted.

“The department of rural development and agrarian reform has helped but there’s only so much it can do.”

Odendaal said the DA was appealing to premier Oscar Mabuyane to declare the province a drought disaster area, again.

Rural development and agrarian reform MEC spokesperson Ayongezwa Lungisa said the business plan the department submitted to the National Treasury outlined a total requirement of R643m in relief funding but it was allocated R35m.

“The R35m that has been allocated will be used in terms of the business plans approved by the national disaster management centre.

“Of this, R25m will be used towards development of 64 boreholes.

“In Alfred Nzo we will do 10, 15 in OR Tambo municipality, seven in Sarah Baartman, Chris Hani will get 14 and Joe Gqabi will receive 10.

“We understand these numbers are not enough, but resource constraints limit us to these numbers as allocated per district.

“The remaining R10m will be used for development of lucerne fodder production.”

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