The front page of the Cape Times of March 15 published a striking photograph. It showed women praying. These women were among 500 who performed Salaah tul Istisqaa, prayer for rain, at Masjidul Quds in Gatesville.
I would like to think that everyone who saw that photograph was touched by it, as I was, as it brought home again the reality that the Western Cape is suffering a serious drought. The 500 women who took part in the prayer for rain must be lauded for their display of concern.
When I was a child we learnt about drought, but for us it was a climatic condition that occurred elsewhere in the country and in the world, not in the beautiful Western Cape with its bountiful winter rainfall. I loved the rain. It often came down heavily and we were thankful that we were safe in a warm and dry home. But today, there are many in the Western Cape and elsewhere who cannot say the same.
We did not know much about thunderstorms, but at worst there was from time to time, the sound of thunder which was a bit disturbing. Something I liked about heavy rainfall was that on the way home from school, I would get my shoes and socks soaking wet. What was nice about this? One could take off those wet items, soak one’s feet in a tub of warm water, dry them, put on fresh shoes and socks and enjoy a warming bowl of soup. I am sure that there are many children today who come home on a rainy day with wet shoes and socks, but for the majority there might not be the luxury of enjoying a warm foot bath and a second pair of shoes which would have remained dry.
I did not dream that one day I would find myself experiencing a severe drought in the Western Cape where I grew up ignorant about how this region would be affected by drought and a water shortage.
The Cape Times of May 17 points out that the water shortage paints “a very grim picture”. It quotes chief researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Prof François Engelbrecht, who comments that "it is projected that we will experience a systematic reduction in rainfall as we move deeper into the 21st century”.
This projection spells great hardship for the inhabitants of the Western Cape as not only drinking water will be affected. The lack of rainfall also means less water for the production of crops and the maintenance of livestock.
The severity of the drought has compelled the City of Cape Town to issue a warning that water must be used sparingly and only for drinking, washing and cooking. Dam levels are cause for grave concern. It is reported that dam levels remain below 20% across the province. We are cautioned to continue to use water sparingly even when it does start to rain, as is forecast will happen over the next few weeks.
The City of Cape Town is urging every person to use less than 100 litres of water per day, and suggests that water that would have been wasted (grey water) be used to fill toilet cisterns, that toilets should be flushed only when necessary, and that people shower for less than two minutes per day or use a wet cloth to wipe themselves down.
Though sad, it came as no surprise that the Western Cape has been declared a disaster area. It is said that the drought we are experiencing is the worst in more than a century. The Cape Times (May 23) says that “Cape Town’s well has run dry”.
A municipal officer of the City of Cape Town has said that additional water supply schemes were not implemented because the city could not, before the onset of the drought, have anticipated the severity of the coming drought and could not reserve capital for a situation that might not arise, while money was urgently needed elsewhere.
The rainfall that followed was exceptionally low. So now we are “waiting on a miracle”. I do not think that miracle will happen. I think we must become very aware of how we can face the drought. Water scarcity affects every aspect of our lives.
Think, for example, of the question of uncontrolled fires in a time when water is scarce. People most affected by uncontrolled fires are those who live in informal settlements. Due to the absence of electricity, people generally use paraffin to warm their homes and themselves.
Paraffin is easily obtainable from corner stores and may be less expensive than other sources of fuel, for example gas. Mayoral committee member JP Smith says paraffin is often sold in containers contaminated with chemicals such as petrol, and therefore it could flare dangerously or explode. Paraffin stoves that are knocked over frequently cause fires that rage beyond control.
But there are numerous other causes of fire: matches and cigarette lighters, candles, electrical faults, cooking appliances, and so forth. These may cause fires when used carelessly or without applying due concentration. If there is no water to extinguish such fires, the consequences are dire in respect of the lives of people and animals, and living spaces.
A positive development in respect of addressing the drought is the development of techniques to increase harvests, thus making one harvest feed more people than before. One such initiative is related by Seydou Walaga, a West Nigerian farmer.
Walaga explains that pits are dug in hardened farmland soil and filled with compost and manure. At the start of the rainy season, seeds are planted in the pits. The pits concentrate scarce water and nutrients around the seeds, and contribute towards the generation of larger crops.
There is also the phenomenon of drought-tolerant plants that must be considered. These are the so-called “resurrection plants” that have the ability to survive water shortages for years. Prof Jill Farrant of the University of Cape Town hopes that, if crops are endowed with the survival skills of resurrection plants to make them drought-tolerant, the world could become a place where people are better fed.
Drought-tolerant plants may provide the key to feeding people and animals facing malnutrition or starvation, because the expected present crop yields have not equalled their previous levels.
If crops could have the survival skills of resurrection plants, then each person who is fortunate enough to own or rent even a small space of backyard, or front yard for that matter, could start and sustain a vegetable patch.
Many vegetables are fast-growing and one could harvest two or three crops per year. Grey water could be used for irrigating the vegetable patch.
Two pieces of news came my way as I contemplated how we address the drought and everything surrounding it. The one piece of news was how Muslims prayed for rain. On Sunday, March 12, hundreds of people joined a call by the Muslim Judicial Council to pray for rain in the Western Cape. The prayer
took place in Chukker Road, Lansdowne, and lasted 90 minutes.
The second piece of news was that on May 25 an interfaith prayer service for rain was initiated by the City. This service took place at the foot of Table Mountain and lasted an hour. Religious, community and traditional leaders led about 100 people in prayers for rain.
In respect of both these prayer initiatives, those who participated in them must be praised for their public acknowledgement of this dire situation.
Each and every one of us, given our specific needs and requirements, should think very hard about how we can reduce our water usage or further reduce it if we have already made reductions. It is envisaged that our personal requirements for water should be for only eating, drinking and essential bathing.
Even if I don’t believe in miracles, I do believe in the power of prayer. It is now time for each and every one of us to pray for rain.