Madiba's starving cattle saved by state

The Eastern Cape government this week launched a rescue operation at Nelson Mandela's homestead in Qunu to save it from becoming another Thandi Modise-like farm disaster.

Last month 82 dead animals - including decomposing pigs, chickens, geese and sheep - were discovered during a raid on a farm owned by Modise, a leading ANC figure and chairwoman of the National Council of Provinces.

This week the provincial government brought feed and veterinarians to help save Mandela's cattle herd, which appeared to be starving in the winter drought.

One of the herd has already died and the rest of the 96 animals were in danger.

The lack of additional feed, vaccinations, and "unsatisfactory" state of the farm in Qunu left Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane "deeply concerned" when he visited there on Friday.

He was accompanied by a team of state veterinarians.

The drought has punished most of the region, with wind scooping up soil into billowing clouds of dust and rolling it through the parched homestead and sun-bleached landscape.

Some of the once green pasture has turned to dust and cattle were grazing on dirt and patches of dry grass.

Farm manager Siyakudumisa Gabada described the situation on the farm as "extremely difficult" and worrying.

"There is not enough grass for the cattle to graze. The cattle have become thin and are in a terrible state. One of them has already died from starvation," he said.

As state veterinarians inspected some of the herd, Gabada apologised, saying "this will not happen again".

Mandela's grandson, Chief Mandla Mandela, acknowledged that the sprawling farm and cattle were not in a satisfactory condition. He said his family was looking at possible solutions.

"Around this time of year as a community we lose a lot of cattle and sheep due to drought. As you can see there is barely any grass on the farm. There are also other challenges, like the management of over-grazing on the farm."

Qoboshiyane said: "On inspection of the herd, we found the state of the cattle a mixture of good and concerning.

"I am deeply concerned that we have to come back as a department to work with the farm manager and family," he said.

He said that "the available feed and water on this farm is quite critical at the moment".

When the Sunday Times visited the farm in June, Wiseman Qingana, who was responsible for looking after the cattle, said the livestock usually lost a lot of weight in winter. "The grass is dry and there isn't any feed like lucerne," he said.

Illustrating how Mandela had loved his cattle, Qingana said he would often meet Mandela to discuss the wellbeing of the herd.

"Madiba would come to us at the kraal or on the field ... [and] always ask us the same things: how his cattle were doing, if they were healthy, if they had been dipped and if we had given them the injections."

Even as his health began to fail him, Mandela, who died in December, would still want to see his livestock.

In his will, Mandela stated: "It is my wish that the farming operations in Qunu continue after my death and that the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Family Trust continue to employ the manager now running the operations and to find suitable persons should he no longer be available to do it."

On Friday, the department vaccinated and dehorned some of the cattle, and castrated 30 to keep the herd at a manageable number. Sixty bales of lucerne were also donated.

Asked if the department had taken a decision to intervene in the potential crisis to avert a situation similar to that on the North West farm belonging to Modise, Qoboshiyane said: "The Thandi Modise situation is a lesson to the government and emerging farmers ... it is incumbent on all those who have livestock to take care [of it] ... we want to avert a similar situation we have seen in the past few weeks."

Last month the SPCA raided Modise's 488ha farm near Potchefstroom after inspectors obtained an urgent court interdict to rescue animals on the property.

Starving pigs on the farm had begun eating those that were already dead.

pilisos@sundaytimes.co.za