Welcome rains but not nearly enough to break drought

While the Eastern Cape experienced welcome rains this week, it has not been nearly enough to break the drought.

Between Monday and Wednesday some 80mm fell  in the Fort Beaufort area, while Makhanda, desperately in need of water, received 49mm. Graaff-Reinet received 41mm.

East London recorded 27mm, King William’s Town 47mm and Komani 17.8mm. 

Mthatha was among areas that recorded the lowest at 3.8mm. 

“Although great for the garden, this rain has not broken the drought and the public must continue to use water sparingly,”SA Weather Service spokesperson Garth Sampson said.

Agri Eastern Cape president Doug Stern agreed.

“This drought has prevailed for  five years and  in some places even longer. We have had way below the average rainfall in this period,” he said.

“One rain is not going replenish the underground water.”

Stern said the province needed at least one year of average rainfall before there could be any talk of the drought being broken.  

He said the affect of the drought on the agricultural sector was enormous.

“Businesses in small towns are dependent on agriculture for their existence. Agriculture is the main contributor in the economy of those small towns,” he said.

Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said  “good, consistent rain that falls within the areas where it could make a difference” was needed.

“The rain that is falling now is just making the ground wet. People must not be deceived. A few showers will not change anything as far as the situation of the city is concerned,” he said.

BCM is currently under stage 3 water restrictions. The municipality has warned that unless water usage is curbed, the so-called “Day Zero” could become a reality.

“As things stand right now, we are still applying stage 3 water restrictions. We are still intensifying our communication to tell people to use water sparingly,” Ngwenya said.

He said their prediction was that the metro would be affected by drought “unless something significant changes”.

“Part of that is people using water sparingly,” he said.

But some were more optimistic about the recent rains.

Farmer Victor Moyeni, of Zalara village in King William’s Town, said the rain would prove a big help.

A few months ago, Moyeni lost animals and all his vegetables because the Keiskamma River, where he usually drew water, dried up.

“But as I am talking I am at the river and it is full. The water level is promising,” he said.

He lost 17 cattle to the drought and had to hire donkeys for ploughing.

sinom@dispatch.co.za