Drought conditions are continuing to plague South Africa, and farmers are the hardest hit.
Mpumalanga is one of the provinces where dry conditions are prevelant. Water levels have dropped at major dams and rivers. Rivers are running dry, and dam levels are dropping drastically.
This is a situation that is worrying farmers in the Mpumalanga province.
Ntando Sibisi, a tobacco farmer isn’t expecting a good harvest this year as there’s not enough water to hydrate his crops.
“We are suffering here because of the lack of water, we are hoping that government will help us at this moment.”
Just a few kilometers away from Sibisi’s farm, young vegetable farmers are facing the same problem.
A nearby dam they relied on for water supply has dried up. The only other source of water left is a borehole.
Collen Mchobokazi says: “The issue of water shortage is affecting us a lot, but at least we are able to do something because we have a borehole, we are hoping that we will get another borehole.”
Cyril Repinga, Nkomazi Municipality spokesperson says the situation is bad: “Rivers are drying up, dams are also drying up, we are facing a difficult situation.”
The Department of Water Affairs says the situation will worsen if it does not rain in the next three weeks.
People are being urged to use water sparingly.
