The Northern Cape Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform Department says locusts are continuing to cause havoc in the province, particularly in Namaqua and Upington. It says the locusts have added to the devastation that the protracted drought has caused in the area.
Departmental Spokesperson, Zandisile Luphahla, says teams on the ground say the locusts came from Namibia.
“The biggest problem is the land owners who don’t report the locusts and mostly it is in communal land, the issue will be addressed with the municipality. Another challenge in Namaqua is because we are using chemicals, we are not allowed to control within the dwellings or where people are staying or within the living areas as per the act. However we challenge our people to always switch off the lights because locusts roam around the night and they are attracted by the lights,” explains Luphahla.
In the video below, the locusts are destroying the land already compromised by the drought:
