Riverlands small-scale farmers in limbo after destructive flooding
Tuesday marks exactly two months since widespread flooding caused by the collapse of four dams at a nearby farm damaged people's homes.
The aftermath of flooding in Riverlands, near Malmesbury in the Western Cape, after three dam retention walls collapsed on 8 August 2024. Picture: Supplied
CAPE TOWN - One of the small-scale farmers affected by the recent floods in Riverlands, Malcolm Beck, says he's disappointed that no one has come to assist them.
Tuesday marks exactly two months since widespread flooding caused by the collapse of four dams at a nearby farm damaged people's homes.
Small-scale farmers are said to have lost crops and livestock as well.
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Beck - who helps look after his aunt's small farm - says his aunt is taking the loss of her livestock very hard.
"It's not our fault, it's the government's fault. We never asked for that to happen to us. Life for me is very difficult, to see my aunt in the state that she's in it's difficult. Also, for me personally, I did lose a lot of things. Christmas is coming up I must try to rebuild what I've lost on my own because I'm not getting help from no one."
Beck says it looks like government has left them to fend for themselves.
"The place where the animals used to stay in is all down, the water took everything down. No one came to compensate us or at least come and apologise and say we are sorry for what happened to us."