Praying for a miracle in the dust

Travelling between the towns of Jansenville and Steytlerville, it is hard to believe anyone still makes a living off the land.

It has been more than six years since one of the country’s top meat, wool and mohair producing regions has received decent rainfall.

Farm dams ran dry years ago, leaving behind large expanses of dirt.

The once grassy plains have turned to dry husks.

But the worst part is seeing wild animals, in their natural habitat, starved and weakened to the point where they can no longer fend for themselves.

Farmers tell heartbreaking stories of kudus standing nearby, watching as livestock are fed and waiting to steal a few mouthfuls.

Low fencing, which they normally scale without trouble, has become insurmountable.

Dozens of carcasses tell the story of kudus simply lying down against fence posts waiting to die.  

“I’ve been living here for more than 30 years and this is by far the worst drought I’ve ever seen,” Steytlerville farmer Sarel Hayward said.

He rears his own sheep on the farm Veerenkraal.

As a side income, he runs an organised hunting operation, but this has been severely affected by the drought and dwindling game numbers.

Five years ago, Hayward brought five gemsbok to his farm, hoping to start a breeding project.

Gemsbok occur naturally in deserts and are known for their ability to survive harsh conditions.

All but one died on Hayward’s land.

“Our animals are dying.

“Farmers are forced to buy feed for the livestock, but no-one knows how long this can be sustained.

“Natural food has run out and it’s only a matter of time until money runs out too.”

Hayward’s saving grace has been smart farm management by keeping his merino flocks well below what the farm can sustain under normal conditions.

Since before the drought, he has been running below 70% of actual capacity.

However, for much of the land, there is no sign of the succulent vygies and their beautiful yellow and purple flowers.

Instead, black twigs stick out among the rocks.

About 70km away, on Claremont farm near Klipplaat, there is more despair.

The farm has been in Chris Lee’s family since 1860.

He said the time was approaching to make some tough decisions.

“My father always said being sentimental is dangerous, but selling family land becomes an emotional issue.

“However, hard decisions will have to be made.

“Either we lock the gates until the drought is over or we sell the land.”

In 2021, the farm known for producing top-quality angora goats and mohair, received only a third of its usual rainfall.

Lee said in the past droughts lasted for about three years and the veld had enough time to recover before the next three-year cycle.

This drought has been twice as long.

“We’ve looked after our angoras and they looked after us, but I’ve been forced to sell a lot of my stock.

“I’m down to 50% and by the end of the year I’ll probably reduce to about 30%.

“The cost of constantly having to feed, coupled with time and labour, is taking its toll.”

Lee was forced to diversify and in the last 18 months has turned to chicken farming.

He acquired a second farm near Bathurst and his egg supply has sustained his cash flow.

About 70km away, between Jansenville and Graaff-Reinet, Marx Strydom stands in the middle of a dust bowl.

The 6ha stretch of dirt was once the main water storage dam for Erekroon farm.

“It’s been 10 years since this dam had proper water,” he said.

“I’ve been farming this land for 17 years; my father for 37.

“We’ve never experienced anything like this.”

Strydom’s merino sheep and angora goats cost up to R200,000 a month to feed, and that is over and above the feed donations he receives from friends in the Free State.

“We’re truly blessed. Without these people I’m not sure where we would be,” Strydom said, his voice breaking.

Sheep that usually ran away now flock around the bakkie as it brings the promise of food.

“I watched a kudu cow trying to jump the low fence, but she was too weak to jump high enough.

“On the third try she went just high enough to trip and fall down the other side, but she couldn’t move.

“I picked her head up and she made no effort to run away, she just stared at me.

“She died right where I left her.

“We see them stealing food from the sheep.

“This is an animal that can jump fences and go anywhere to survive, but they are incapable; they’re simply too weak.”

In July, the SA Weather Service made its long-term predictions, with no encouraging news for the Karoo, forecasting below-normal rainfall.

Spokesperson Garth Sampson said the Steytlerville, Klipplaat and Jansenville region had not seen its historic average rainfall for the better part of a decade, and there was no sign of when this would change.

Agri Eastern Cape president Peter Cloete said while parts of the eastern half of the province were also feeling the pressure, the western section of the Eastern Cape, west of the N10 between Gqeberha and Middelburg, was in dire straits.

“What scares me most is the number of farmers planning to close up shop if it does not rain by Christmas.

“What people need to realise is that, even if it rains tomorrow, it will take years of good rain, to recover, Cloete said.

Luckily some charitable organisations sporadically donate drinking water, animal feed and food parcels to farmers’ families and their workers, bringing some relief and encouragement.

Parts of the same region were plagued by locusts earlier this year, killing what little vegetation was left.

Pest specialists speculated that the eggs left behind by the swarm could hatch by September and October if the right conditions came about. However, they could lie dormant for up to 10 years waiting for moisture and the availability of food.

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