The City of Tshwane Emergency Services says it is on high alert and ready to evacuate residents to safety following the SA Weather Services (SAWS) warning of thundershowers which may result in possible flooding.
Spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni said their fire and rescue operations are always on standby for emergencies due to anticipated storms and potential flooding.
"Our fire and rescue operations are always on standby for emergencies that may occur because of the anticipated storms and potential flooding. We have specific rescue units such as the Swiftwater Rescue Unit or Diving Unit on high alert.
"Our units periodically monitor high-risk areas and share information with the public," she said.
"There are some high-risk areas such as informal settlements built in flood zones. Some roads also have low water bridges, and these get closed if the water levels rise above a certain level to prevent the public from using such roads."
Following days of extreme heat, heavy rains are expected in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Joburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said they were also ready and that residents, especially in flood-prone areas, need to be cautious.
“We have activated our disaster management centre and deployed monitoring teams across all regions. With frequent severe weather events, we are always ready for emergencies,” he said, citing vulnerable areas such as Alexandra and Diepsloot.
The rains will be a welcome relief to farmers who said they had had a prolonged dry spell.
We have activated our disaster management centre and deployed monitoring teams across all regions. With frequent severe weather events, we are always ready for emergencies
— EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi
AgriSA CEO Johann Kotze said many farmers have been unable to start planting, particularly maize, due to the dry spell.
“We’re late on planting for field crops, especially maize. Some areas, particularly in the eastern regions, should have been planted already,” he said. “It might just mean we have a late season, which is what we hope for. But some areas are more affected because last year’s drought left their groundwater reserves low.”
According to Transvaal Agricultural Union president Bennie van Zyl, the drought brought along "a huge challenge for farmers”.
He said lack of natural grass and fodder has impacted on cattle and sheep farmers.
“We’re struggling to find food for these animals. Normally, at this time we’d have had enough rain for grazing, but now there’s nothing left for them to eat,” he noted.
Van Zyl said the timing in agriculture is important.
“Once a year, you have the opportunity to harvest your crop, whether it’s maize, corn or sunflower. But in the eastern highveld, the best time for planting is usually from mid-October, and right now, they cannot plant because there hasn’t been any rain,” he said.
SAWS has forecasted potential relief in the form of thunder showers.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday), we’re expecting a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers in KZN, with a 60% chance in Mpumalanga, Eiffel, Gauteng and parts of the north. A yellow level 2 alert has been issued for severe thunderstorms in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng,” he said.
Although larger farms are better equipped with technology to manage climate adaptation, Kotze said smaller farmers struggle to afford similar resources.
“The difficulty you deal with is that a small farmer cannot afford this… for a small-scale farmer to go and adapt to that is difficult. Today, field crop farmers are very mindful of how to maintain groundwater in their fields. That's a very difficult concept to boost about small-scale farmers because it's capital investment,” said Kotze.
Van Zyl also underscored the financial pressures facing farmers.
“The output for a farmer, the money they put in the soil, depends on trust, belief and hope for a yield at the end of the season,” he said.
However, the current unpredictability makes profitability uncertain. He said farmers were hoping for more rain to ease drought conditions.
“Right now, we just have to pray for rain. It is the only solution for our summer crops ... and that’s for most of our country, which relies on summer rainfall. But with the expected cold front, it’s really unpredictable, and we don’t know how to plan,” he said.
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