Limpopo to be declared a drought disaster area

POLOKWANE –  The department of agriculture will this week or next declare Limpopo a drought disaster area for agriculture.

Ben Kgakatsi, the director of risk management in the department of agriculture, said the sugar-growing province of KwaZulu-Natal would soon be declared a disaster area for agriculture.

“The assessments are being carried out and then they will submit their applications for disaster declarations to their premiers,” he said.

The latest development comes after cattle, sheep and goat farmers were on Tuesday urged by the government to cut the size of their herds as drought conditions scorch grazing land.

The forced sale of cattle will hit farmers big and small but will have its most severe impact on subsistence herders who graze their livestock mostly on communal lands and cannot afford to provide the animals with feed supplements.

In Limpopo, citrus farmers will be hit the hardest by the drought. Citrus farmers in the province already face water restrictions.

On Sunday, the Minister of Water Affairs, Nomvula Mokonyane, revealed that the average water level of dams in Limpopo was still 71% with 12 of the 24 dams in the province above 80% and only four dams below 50%.

She added the recent construction of the De Hoop Dam brings relief to the rapid growth in mining and domestic water demands in the Sekhukhune District Municipality.

“Due to lack of bulk connector services, rural communities are prone to drought impacts. Speeding up the connector services will go a long way in alleviating the situation. The department will intervene in addressing challenges in Limpopo, as local government struggles to manage them,” she explained.

“Drought conditions are being experienced across the country due to prolonged lower-than-normal rainfall since the beginning of the year, and this has led to water shortages in a number of public water supply schemes or dams.”