The leading British daily newswpaper The Guardian has published a long article about the impact of years of drought on the Tankwa Karoo. Part of a series titled ‘This is climate breakdown’, it comprises an interview with Isabella Visagie, or Sybil, a 57-year-old sheep farmer, wife and mother in the Sutherland district in the Tankwa Karoo. The introduction states that a drought began in 2015 that would ‘bring the community in which she lived to its knees’, and that the Northern Cape has been locked in a drought since then.
Sybil then proceeds to tell a harrowing story of stock losses, financial ruin, and hardships for farmers and workers alike.
She is quoted as saying: ‘Climate change is now something that we all discuss in fear. If you look back into history, every time that climate changed it had a devastating effect. I don’t know if this is a cycle. Maybe this is an act of God. But the normal years are getting less and the drier years are getting more. I knew what was coming, I would probably have sold the farm 12 years ago. …’
However, she adds: ‘What brings me hope is the kindness of people still out there. You can’t imagine how kind people can be. Disaster is about caring. There’s still people caring about me. It made me aware of the hardship of other people. I’m not selfish any more, not looking at myself any more. It’s time we realise we do not only walk on this Earth to make a living, but to make a contribution towards the future of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren …’
To access the article, click here.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Ouberg Pass in the Tankwa Karoo.(Pixabay)