Terwyl swaar reënbuie die afgelope tyd oor groot dele van Suid-Afrika toegesak het, het daar nog geen betekenisvolle reën in Williston en die omliggende gebiede in die Noord-Kaap geval nie.
Die ernstige droogte het reeds verwoestende gevolge vir boere, hul gesinne en plaaswerkers gehad. AfriForum en Saai het daarom 12 ton voer aangekoop, wat binnekort aan boere in hierdie omgewing afgelewer gaan word.
Die voortslepende droogte het reeds talle boere gedwing om hul arbeidskoste drasties te sny. Waar ’n plaas tipies vier werkers sou aanstel, kan baie boere nou slegs een werker behou en selfs dié werker werk nie meer voltyds nie.
“Die boere is in ’n ernstige krisis gedompel wat deur erge droogte meegebring is. Hul vee vrek, hul werkers is hul lewensbestaan kwyt en daar is eenvoudig niks meer om uit te deel nie.
AfriForum kon nie toekyk hoe hierdie gemeenskappe stilweg onder ’n droogte heengaan nie,” sê Tarien Cooks, AfriForum se rampbestuurspesialis.
AfriForum het reeds aan die Noord-Kaapse rampbestuursentrum geskryf met ’n versoek dat Williston tot ’n rampgebied verklaar word sodat hulp vinnig ontsluit kan word. Tot op hede is geen antwoord ontvang nie.
“Dit laat die boere in die steek op ’n kritieke tyd en dui op ’n ernstige gebrek aan politieke wil om landbougemeenskappe in nood te ondersteun.
Dit beteken dat die regering nie net sy rug op boere draai nie, maar ook op plaaswerkers en hul families, wat sonder ’n inkomste moet klaarkom. Die sosio-ekonomiese impak op die gemeenskap is reeds sigbaar en die situasie versleg met elke week wat sonder reën verbygaan,” sê Cooks.
“Wat in Boesmanland plaasvind is nie meer net ’n normale droë siklus nie, dit is ’n volslae bestaanskrisis. Familieboere het reeds hul spaargeld, hul voerreserwes en baie van hul kudde verloor.
Sonder gerigte noodhulp gaan ons nie net boerderye verloor nie, maar hele gemeenskappe, skole en plaaswerkers se inkomste,” sê Iné Bester, operasionele bestuurder by Saai.
“Saai koördineer saam met ons vennote die droogtehulp op grondvlak om seker te maak dat noodvoer daar uitkom waar dit die nodigste is.
Ons het egter die publiek se samewerking nodig om hierdie boere deur die volgende maande te kry.”
AfriForum en Saai in samewerking met Manna vir die Boere doen ’n dringende beroep op Suid-Afrikaners om die boere in hierdie droogte te ondersteun. Donasies kan aan AfriForum se noodfonds gemaak word:
Bank: Eerste Nasionale Bank (FNB)
Rekeninghouer: AfriForum MSW
Takkode: 261550
Rekeningnommer: 623 498 98 398
Verwysing: Droogte
12 tons of feed on its way to Boesmanland farmers amid devastating drought
While heavy rains have recently descended across large parts of South Africa, no significant rain has yet fallen in Williston and the surrounding areas in the Northern Cape.
The severe drought has already had devastating consequences for farmers, their families and farm workers. AfriForum and Saai have therefore purchased 12 tons of feed which will soon be delivered to farmers in this area.
The ongoing drought has already forced many farmers to drastically cut their labour costs. Where a farm would typically employ four workers, many farmers can now only retain one worker and even that worker is no longer working full-time.
“The farmers have been plunged into a serious crisis brought about by severe drought. Their livestock are dying; their workers have lost their livelihoods; and there is simply nothing left to distribute.
AfriForum could not stand by and watch as these communities silently perish under a drought,” says Tarien Cooks, AfriForum’s Disaster Management Specialist.
AfriForum has already written to the Northern Cape Disaster Management Centre requesting that Williston be declared a disaster area so that aid can be quickly made available.
To date, no response has been received.
“This is failing farmers at a critical time and indicates a serious lack of political will to support agricultural communities in need.
This means that the government is not only turning its back on farmers, but also on farm workers and their families, who are left without an income.
The socio-economic impact on the community is already visible, and the situation is worsening with each week that passes without rain,” says Cooks.
“What’s happening in Boesmanland is no longer just a normal drought cycle, it is a full-scale existential crisis. Family farmers have already lost their savings, their feed reserves and much of their herd.
Without targeted emergency assistance, we will not only lose farms, but entire communities, schools and farm workers’ incomes,” says Iné Bester, Operations Manager at Saai.
“Saai is coordinating the drought relief on ground-level with our partners to ensure that emergency feed reaches where it is needed most. However, we need the public’s cooperation to get these farmers through the coming months.”
AfriForum and Saai in collaboration with Manna for the Farmers are urgently appealing to South Africans to support the farmers in this drought. Donations can be made to AfriForum’s emergency fund:
Bank: First National Bank (FNB)
Account Holder: AfriForum MSW
Branch code: 261550
Account number: 623 498 98 398
Reference: Drought
