Rain fell in parts of the drought-stricken Willowmore area yesterday morning and “big rains” are expected in the area on Friday and Saturday, said Callie Wannenburg, a farmer in the area and one of the organisers of a “Hope in the Karoo” prayer event in the town led by farmer-evangelist Angus Buchan last Tuesday.
“So it was a good decision to bring Uncle Angus this side,” said Callie who said about 8mm to 9mm of rain fell on his farm yesterday morning at a time that heavy rains caused flooding in the Oudtshoorn area of the Little Karoo and the Garden Route.
Last week he told Gateway News that local farmers were desperate after seven years of drought which had forced many to sell their livestock because they could no longer feed them.
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He said that following the latest rain developments “there is more hope in the guys — you can see they are positive”.
“I’m meeting up with some of the guys tonight and tomorrow night again,” he said.
“We just praise God for the rain,” said Buchan who has been receiving feedback from Little Karoo farmers elated by rain and with testimonies such as a river flowing again for the first time in 20 years.
He commended the “resilient” Willowmore farmers who attended last week’s prayer gathering in the town and Northern Cape farmers who endured dust and heat and wind to pray with him at a gathering in the Douglas area in mid October at a time that devastating veld fires added to their drought woes.
Good, widespread rains started falling in the Northern Cape about 10 days after the Douglas prayer meeting “and it’s still raining”, said Buchan.
Meanwhile, according to a report in Times Live the department of water and sanitation has assured citizens in the southern Cape that it is working closely with local municipalities affected by flooding and disaster management structures to prevent further damage to properties and minimise loss of life.
The department’s spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, said more than 100mm of rain has fallen in the town of George and surrounding areas since 2am on Monday.
He also said that while flooding may have undesirable effects, the department is pleased with the heavy rains as they will bring relief to the drought-stricken Little Karoo.
“This region has been in dire need of rains as it has received inadequate rainfall for the past few years,” he said.
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