Harding farmer, Bertie Strydom has lost livestock for the second time in three years, after his cattle drank water contaminated with sewage from the Umzimkhulwana River.xAs a result, four calves were stillborn in the last week, he said.

According to Strydom, the P2 pump station at the end of Shepstone Street doesn’t work when the power is off, and the raw sewage pours into the river.

“This happens every time there is load shedding. The sewage fills up in the holding tanks and spills into the valley straight into the river,” he added.

In a similar incident in 2019, Strydom suffered a huge loss when six cows died and 12 calves were stillborn.

With the recent livestock deaths, he called it a wasted year because the animals would have sold for up to R10 000 each, once reared.

The sewage spill is not an isolated incident, and he has contacted Ugu District Municipality a number of times to report similar incidents.

“Ugu has said nothing, as nobody can get hold of them,” he said.

Strydom’s farm has seven kilometres of river frontage. “This is a big problem as I have to keep the cattle from drinking the water, and in doing so there is no other grazing. Unless I fence off the river, and this too is not an option, as it costs R1-million a kilometre to fence.”

The Mkhondwana River is an alternate source for clean drinking water for the herd of some 160 cattle, however it is located four kilometres away.

Ugu was contacted regarding the spillage, and comment is being awaited.

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