Some of the physically and emotionally exhausted farmers and farmworkers in Southern KwaZulu-Natal’s deep-rural Swartberg district are still fighting flare-ups from a massive wildfire that tore through 16 farms from around 10.30 am on Sunday.
The farmers were unable to talk to African Farming about their experiences because they were trying to douse the flare-ups and manage the aftermath of the initial fire. Instead, they provided cellphone photos of where they were working and brief WhatsApp voicenotes.
In the meantime, the Zwartberg Farmers’ Association [ZFA] said the origin of the fire was traced to embers that blew out of a farmhouse chimney.
“Gale-force winds measuring up to 85 km/h drove the fire across multiple farms in the district,” said the ZFA report listing a litany of devastation. Some 8 051 ha across 16 farms were burned. The fire consumed 4 041 hay bales, 5 ha of standing maize crops and 444 ha of maize harvest residues. They also caused the deaths of 501 sheep, eight cows, one bull and seven horses.
The ZFA said six members were especially hard-hit and are in desperate need of fencing materials and livestock feed.
“If you can help our farmers in need, whether it be donations of bales or cash, it will be greatly appreciated. Bales and materials will be delivered to Inkerman Farm in the Swartberg area, from where they will be distributed by the ZFA committee,” the ZFA said.
“Cash donations can be paid into the ZFA bank account and each farmer will be allocated a fair amount decided by the ZFA committee.”Numerous visuals of the wildfire and its aftermath were provided to African Farming.
Watch this video to see and hear what the district’s farming community experienced.
