A massive fire has devastated a vital grazing camp in Niani, outside Musina in Limpopo, leaving subsistence livestock farmers from several villages reeling. The blaze destroyed over 1,500 hectares of grassland last week, with the cause still unknown. Local farmers express deep frustration over the lack of protection for their lands.
Several subsistence livestock farmers in Niani, a rural area outside Musina in Limpopo province, are grappling with the aftermath of a destructive fire that wiped out one of their primary grazing camps. Known as Camp-Two, this land supports farmers from five nearby villages, including Bale and Manenzhe, where communities rely heavily on livestock for their livelihoods.
The fire broke out last week and rapidly spread, ravaging more than 1,500 hectares of grassland essential for feeding cattle and other animals. This incident has compounded existing challenges for the farmers, who describe the area as rich in livestock but vulnerable due to inadequate oversight.
The cause of the blaze remains unknown, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in the region's grazing management. Farmer Eric Mandiwana voiced the community's devastation in an interview, stating: “Niani people are rich in livestock. When our livestock are feeding here, we are able to monitor them. If rangers were guarding here, it would be better; now that there are no rangers, people do as they like. When it comes to the new dispensation, everything was left unattended, and it’s like we are not living in the same country. We are really struggling as farmers. This camp was one of the camps in this area that sustained our livestock. We have a lot of problems with the grazing camps, and we do not know who to run to for help.”
Mandiwana's comments underscore the farmers' sense of abandonment and the urgent need for better protection and support systems to prevent future losses. Without rangers or structured guardianship, such incidents threaten the sustainability of traditional farming practices in the area.