Onalenna Modikwa
5 October 2007
Bobonong — The areas of Bobirwa alongside Tswapong and Selebi Phikwe have recently been receiving rainfalls and lower and favourable weather conditions that may promise a very good harvest season next year.
Just upon the start of the rainfall, the earth that has been scorched for too long by extreme heat of the sun slowly began to resurrect and breathed a new life of greenery that the area is best known for. Bobirwa region is naturally a beautiful area that is very sensitive and reactive to good climatic conditions. Hence it was the first region to feel the impact of the drought that engulfed the country since last year. Along the road to Bobonong, the clay soils have already begun showing signs that they are retaining water.
Here, nothing beats the beauty of rain water that collects into shallow puddles and in the bushes, with one or two donkeys standing by, having had a good drink of natural rain water. The region is also known for its abundance of underground water that often springs out. The vegetation on either side of the road is promising to resuscitate soon and offer the starving cattle the diet they have long craved for.
But is it a sign of a good harvest season to come? An elderly resident of Bobonong Keitsile Mogasha doubts it. For too long the country had unreliable rainfalls unlike long ago when the elders would know the name of each episode of rainfall, whether is symbolises good harvest, paves way for another season or just a rainfall to cool the earth. As such a lot of farmers risked and lost their seeds during the first rainfall, only to return from the lands empty handed after a spate of extreme weather conditions that followed afterwards.
"Today the weather is unpredictable. It can rain satisfactorily this week but the following week can bring a different story. During our time, we would be preparing to set off to the land as well as to roundup our livestock that had been left to forage for themselves but now we just do not know what to do."
Mogasha says that the area has had a thirst for change for too long and is hopeful that it has finally come. He believes that Babirwa naturally are hard workers when it comes to traditional chores like ploughing and rearing, as such their need for reliable rainfall is insurmountable. The current rainfalls are coupled with winds that also appears to be shedding tree leaves to give way for the new ones. Though the day may start off with high temperatures and clear skies, it has become a norm that as the afternoon sets in clouds will begin to gather and rain will fall.
Mogasha believes that if it was some years ago, very soon the phane worm butterflies would begin to perch on the mophane trees to lay eggs in preparation for December harvest. There were no phane worms the whole of last year due to the unfavourable weather conditions. Phane is also a source of income for Babirwa who would sell it in bulk to South African traders.
Along the main roads of Bobirwa there are turnoffs to the commercial farms from Sefhophe-Bobonong, Bobonong- Molalatau and Motlhabaneng- Mashatu roads. Also there are Tuli Block farms within which there is Talana farms. This evidently shows that residents are actively engaged in agriculture, hence the need for good and reliable rainfall is of prime importance. Babirwa also had to succumb to double tragedy in that after their livestock were attacked by foot and mouth outbreak they had to relocate their cattle elsewhere within the region where the impact of drought was minimal.
Tswapong area has also had a taste of good rainfalls that are continuing to fall. Like Babirwa, Batswapong were hardest hit by a recent drought that left them empty handed after harvest season. While some tried their luck some did not bother at all.
The thick vegetation along the roads leading to Sherwood and greenery of the farms that would prevail beside the road became part of history. Let alone the small ponds that are a regular sight in the lands area between Seolwane and Lerala and Mogapi area stretching to Tholodi river towards Maunatlala . They were characterised by sun baked and cracked clay. But now the little drops they received are promising. The Tswapong area is known for its natural gorges where natural water flows in the hillocks that surround the area. These offer a perennial water supply that support residents especially during the current situation of acute water shortage in Tswapong. Normally this flow of water becomes higher when there is good rainfall and the flow reduces when there is no rain because of high volumes drawn for household use.
Residents are also looking forward to good rains to recover the losses they encountered during last year's drought that also resulted from the unavailability of phane worms that used to be harvested twice annually.
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