Farmers in Gweta, Nata, Zoroga and Tsokotshaa villages have expressed fears that despite the good rains that Botswana has experienced this year, they are likely to have one of the poorest harvests ever.

Farmers in these villages, particularly Zoroga and Gweta, stated that their fields are still under floodwaters that hit the area following torrential rains.

Movements to and from the fields using various modes of transport such as donkey carts and motor vehicles have been curtailed as the paths and roads are submerged. But one of the residents said the situation seems to be improving.

"You should have come here around January. That is when we thought the floods would wipe us out. We were only holding our stomachs - as my grandfather would have put it," Maleuba Maleko explained with a smile.

She acknowledged that the rains were not heavy. As she narrated the ordeal that most farmers suffered as a result of the floods, Maleuba surveyed her five-hectare piece of land with watery eyes as if she were mourning a loved one.

"The rains that we had this year were not that heavy but our area received a lot of flood waters from the eastern part of our village," she said as she tried to come to terms with the damages caused by the floods.

The floods have forced many of the desperate peasants to wade through them on foot to reach their farms, Maleko said.

"Some of us were even scared to wade through the floods because we thought there might be snakes or even crocodiles. This was so because there was water everywhere that at times the place looked like a vast lake," another farmer, Raymond Keobonye, said.

The floods have also affected farmers in Tsokotshaa. Some of them had been cut off for several days, according to Raymond who has some relatives staying there.

"Some farmers in Tsokatshaa were stranded at the farms. People from our end could not reach them either because it was dangerous to wade through the floods," he said.

Most of the residents say the floods have affected many farmers who were looking forward to a big feast of letlhafula. Some of the farmers interviewed in Zoroga and Gweta said that they could hardly see their germinating crops. Zoroga resident Jenamiso Keabetswe, said because of floods he does not use his family vehicle to go to their cattle post.

"It would be foolish to drive a car in these floods. Cattle posts and fields have become inaccessible by vehicle; so the only way to get there is on foot," he said. But does this mean the farmers have lost hope?

"These floods have destroyed our crops and we do not think we will harvest anything. But we shall continue ploughing the fields because we cannot give up after so much toil on the farms. Some of us postponed other projects to concentrate on farming in the hope that the rains would bring increased yields but only to bring disaster and starvation," Teedzani Negroes said with a dejected look on her face.

"It's no longer as bad as when the rains started but most of the area is still under water as you can see. Many people could not reach their cattle post and farms by motor vehicles. It's slightly better now, but our crops are still submerged in water," Maria Thabano said as she pointed to some of the crops on her farm. Her neighbour Negroes concurred.

"The floods have done much damage. Even our friends in Nata and Gweta are affected. The floods that pounded our villages have also destroyed moretlwa (wild berry). We could have been gathering the fruit for sale to town dwellers," she said as she picked up her hoe to remove the weeds.

Maize, the staple, is one of the widely grown crops in these villages but widespread flooding, has led to stunted growth.

"A well grown hectare of maize can produce up to a hundred bags," said another woman farmer who identified herself as Maleuba. She stated that she cultivates her fields every year.

In Gweta floods have also enveloped some farms. One of the residents, Kebatshabe Spencer explained that the floods have resulted in stunted growth of many crops, including sorghum, which most villagers depend on when maize meal runs out. (Sila Press Agency)