Council approves request for draught disaster declaration

Facing a deepening water crisis and bleak weather forecasts, George Council has approved a move that could see the city being declared a local drought disaster area.

- Alida de Beer

The approval of the application now shifts the focus to what this could mean on the ground.

The Outeniqualand Farmers' Association's chairperson, Bossie Terblanche, said commercial farmers will not necessarily benefit from a disaster declaration. "If some assistance is granted, it will be minimal, similar to what we experienced in the 2010 drought. If funds are available from the state, development farmers receive preference.

"One possible benefit could be provision of drinking water for farm workers. This is something we have been addressing, and we have also asked for water provision for the small farmers' livestock. Pacaltsdorp's small farmers are currently paying for municipal water for their livestock. Be that as it may, I think currently, the state funds that can be scraped together are going mostly towards the foot-and-mouth disease disaster."

A report tabled to the George Council at its first meeting of the year last week sketched a dire situation for George about the drought, while the South African Weather Services is predicting no relief in the coming months.