KZN small-scale farmers decry the effects of drought

The persistent drought in northern KwaZulu-Natal is having a devastating effect on small-scale farmers in eMthonjaneni, previously Melmoth.

Livestock owners at eSongayana say their cattle die as they get stuck in the mud while searching for water in dried-up dams.

Msiphula Mlambo says he has lost seven head of cattle due to the drought.

“We are faced with the challenge of drought; dams are dry and livestock are dying every day. We don’t have food for the cattle and hundreds of cattle have died here. Today, we have been rescuing one of the cattle from this dam, and this shows the seriousness of the problem. I have lost seven cattle as I speak.”

Meanwhile,  the Department of Agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal says it plans on assisting cattle owners in the hardest-drought hit areas.

The department’s spokesperson, Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa says the province has been battling drought since 2021.

“We are aware that there is drought in KZN, and we are going to conduct a research regarding the damage caused by drought in the province. We are going to dig some boreholes where it’s possible, on the other hand, we will revive some of the dams,” he says.