Muyako — Farmers along Lake Liambezi are scrambling to harvest maize, sorghum and other crops before advancing floodwaters reach their fields.
The water, which has already moved past Bukalo, is steadily pushing towards villages and crop fields surrounding the lake, forcing farmers to begin harvesting weeks before their crops are ready.
Affected farmer Raymond Matiti, who farms at Muyako in the centre of the lake basin, said residents are racing against time.
"People here along the stream are very busy harvesting those crops. We cannot leave the maize under water," he said.
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Matiti added that most crops are still green and not yet ready for harvest, but farmers have no choice. "We are forced to remove them from the stalks and put them on the ground to dry. After about three weeks, we can shell the maize and sell the grain. They are not dry now, but if we leave them, the water will destroy them," he said.
He said the current water affecting fields between Bukalo and Muyako is mostly rainwater from recent heavy rains but warned that the main flood is still coming.
According to Matiti, the annual flood normally arrives in three waves, and only the first wave has reached the area.
"This is only the first wave. We might still get another two waves before July," he warned.
The premature harvesting comes after farmers were already hit hard by locust infestations earlier in the season.
"We were heavily affected by locusts, especially me. The harvest could have been very good if there were no flood and no locusts," Matiti said. Masubia Traditional Authority Ngambela (prime minister) Raphael Mbala yesterday said the water moving through Bukalo will spread through several channels before entering Lake Liambezi. He said the floodwater is expected to move through Malindi, Nanzonde, Tungoma, Ngala and eventually into the lake, threatening fields in Muyako, Kwena, Masokotwani, Lusu, Sikanjabuka, Kanono, Chinchimani and as far as Linyanti.
"People should try very hard to harvest their crops. Once the water comes, there will be no stopping it," Mbala warned.
Farmers are already working day and night. "People are busy. You can hear tractors everywhere trying to harvest crops," he said.
Mbala warned that the situation could worsen within the next few weeks because more rain has fallen in Angola, the source of much of the floodwater flowing into the Zambezi floodplains.
"In two to four weeks, we could see even heavier flooding towards the end of April and beginning of May," he said.
He said the water could rise above seven metres, potentially damaging roads and low-lying bridges.
Meanwhile, the Namibian Air Force has joined government efforts to assess the worsening flood situation in the region.
The air force of the Namibian Defence Force carried out an aerial assessment mission from 3 to 4 April after the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development requested assistance from the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs.
The mission supported Urban and Rural Development minister James Sankwasa, together with officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, and the Zambezi Regional Council.
Aerial observations showed that villages, schools and crop fields in several parts of the Zambezi Region have been submerged or cut off by water.
The worst-affected constituencies were identified as Kabbe South, Sibbinda and Katima Rural, where several schools have already been forced to close.
Authorities say water levels in the Zambezi River have risen above five metres, forcing more than 2 000 residents from their homes and into nine temporary relocation camps.
Officials also confirmed that the flood emergency has been worsened by the ongoing locust outbreak, with farmers in Muyako are among those hardest hit.
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Despite the looming losses, both Matiti and Mbala said the water could still bring benefits later by refilling Lake Liambezi and improving fishing.
"Maybe once the lake is full of water, there will be a lot of fish," Mbala said.
Matiti added: "We need the water. Once the lake is full, we will have fish. We can use the water for drier days."
Bukalo
Meanwhile, Anna Sazita, CEO of Bukalo, urged residents to be cautious as water levels continue to rise. She warned that children should not play near floodwaters because of the danger of drowning and crocodiles.
"Parents must closely supervise their children and accompany them when crossing streams, especially when going to and from school," she said. -anakale@nepc.com.na
