Elzabe Rockman, the Free State MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, expressed her sincere appreciation for farmers who went out of their way to assist travellers who were left stranded on the roads during the recent heavy snowfalls in South Africa.
She said in a Facebook post: “Our immense gratitude goes to Free State Agriculture, Afasa, Nafu and all the farmers in Kestell, QwaQwa and Harrismith who did not hesitate to respond to our call to provide assistance to the people and vehicles stuck in the snow on roads in the affected areas.”
Major routes in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State had been blocked due to heavy snow. The N3 toll road along Van Reenen’s Pass was closed entirely between Estcourt and Harrismith on 20 September due to heavy snowfall. By Sunday night 22 September the roads were opened again.
Shadrack Mbele, who farms between Kestell and Harrismith was one of a group of farmers who assisted the authorities to clear the N5 leading to the N3 over the weekend.
“When we received the call from the Free State provincial government to assist with the clearing of the road we acted immediately. I was but one of many farmers who dispatched tractors and teams of workers to make the road passable. By the time the farmers arrived at the scene, some motorists were stranded on the road and they were extremely cold.
“It was therefore an honour for us as God-fearing people to assist our fellow human beings. You know, the people of South Africa are our customers and in this way we could show some of our appreciation to them,” Mbele told Farmer’s Weekly.
According to George Galloway, chairman of the Harrismith District Farmers’ Association, one major problem that the farmers encountered was motorists who blindly followed GPS directions, ending up on virtually impassable gravel roads.
“I lost count of the number of cars that got stuck on De Beer’s Pass, a treacherous and mountainous road, over the weekend. We had to assist an entire range of vehicles, from small cars up to a school bus. At one stage I counted 15 cars in a row, slipping and sliding along, trying to reach the nearest tarred road some 30km away,” Galloway said.
