By Sinegugu Ndlovu
About R150-million has been earmarked for relief to the rural Umkhanyakude District around Mtubatuba, which is in the grip of a severe drought, affecting more than 348 000 people who have no choice but to pay trucks to bring them life-giving water.
And if Mother Nature continues unleashing her wrath on the area, many farmers will go out of business.
The 12 000km area - which covers Mtubatuba, St Lucia, uThungulu, Ingawavuma, Ubombo, Mkuze, Hluhluwe, Somkele and St Lucia Estuary - has been in the grip of a drought for more than eight years - and efforts to aid the area are moving at a snail's pace. At least three years of normal rainfall will be required for relief.
For farmers, the drought comes on top of hikes in fuel and fertiliser prices.
Agriculture is barely functioning in the region - which supports sugar, fruit and timber farmers. While farms that are close to the Umfolozi flood plains are better off, the situation is grim for farmers in the Hluhluwe area, where few farms receive irrigation.
Chris Rattray, chairperson of Monzi Farmers' Association, said many farmers had been forced to employ staff on a seasonal rather than permanent basis. Rattray said the drought's impact on employment in the area was "devastating".
"We are struggling and there is limited grazing land left. The rainfall pattern has changed. There is a trend where rains come in the winter rather than in spring.
"In addition, the interest rate of 14,5 percent puts a lot of farmers under pressure, with fuel prices also expected to rise," said Rattray.
He said the solution lay in sustainable government projects, rather than farmers starting individual dams that could dry up.
While tourism remained healthy in the circumstances, there were concerns that wildlife and domestic livestock in the area would take a knock.
Pontso Pakkies, a spokesperson for the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, which includes one third of the KwaZulu-Natal coastline, said that unless there was good catchment rain to fill the lakes and pans, there could be dire consequences for animal life in the area.
"If the drought continues, wildlife in the park and livestock outside the park will suffer," said Pakkies.
Umkhanyakude District Mayor Lawrence Mthombeni said that even if the drought eased, a whopping R110-million was needed for infrastructure.
"We do have rivers, but they are small and dry up early. The Umfolozi River is overused mainly by Vryheid and Zululand while the Nyalazi, Hluhluwe and Mkhuze rivers are also overused by farmers.
"The Jozini Dam is big enough to bridge the gap, but the capital needed for the infrastructure of installing pipes, water plants and manpower is lacking. Boreholes have been depleted and the fast-growing population rate, especially at Mtubatuba, adds to the problem," said Mthombeni.
Thys Badenhorst, of the KwaZulu-Natal department of water affairs, said R35-million had been secured for drought relief in the province. He said R8 million would be channelled to the Umkhanyakude area, and there were long-term plans to get water from the Jozini Dam.
"An additional R350-million has been budgeted for regional water schemes, of which R58 million would be channelled to Umkhanyakude, and we are applying for additional funding," he said.
- sinegugu.ndlovu@inl.co.za