Skokkende toestand Burre Burger’s aid work questioned langs Grobbelaarsrivier
Die toestand van die oewers van die Grobbelaarsrivier is skokkend.
Dit het ses lede van 'n buurtwag in Wesbank, Oudtshoorn, Saterdag ontdek toe hulle besluit het om presies uit te vind wat in die bosse langs die rivier wat tussen huise in Wesbank deurvloei, aangaan.
"Almal weet dat daar mense in die bosse bly en almal weet ook dat dit 'n broeiplek vir misdaad is, maar niks word daaraan gedoen nie," het een van hulle die naweek gesê toe hy foto's van tonele aan die koerant gewys het.
Volgens hom het hulle slegs die gedeelte tussen Vrede- en Albertstraat verken.
"Die doringbosse is so dig dat ons glad nie op party plekke kon uitkom nie, maar ek kan nie beskryf hoe dit daar lyk nie, reg langs 'n rivier wat die landbou moet voed," het hy gesê.
Daar is op twee plekke afgekom waar mense permanent woon en by een van die plekke was daar ook mense wat gekonfronteer is.
Op foto's lê rommel die bosse vol en daar is duidelike tekens dat items wat vermoedelik gesteel is, daar uitmekaar gehaal is en ook versteek word. Daar is afgekom op duur vroueklere, skoene, juweliersware en die oorblyfsel van elektroniese toestelle soos mikrogolfoonde en sakrekenaars.
"Die plek stink vreeslik, want oral lê menslike ontlasting. Ek kan nie glo dat die owerhede nog nie opgetree het nie, al is dit bloot uit 'n gesondheidsoogpunt."
Die eienaar van 'n gastehuis wat aan die rivier grens het slegs 'n week gelede gesê hy is radeloos met die verliese wat hy ly as mense snags vanaf die rivier op sy eiendom toeslaan om pype en enigiets wat hulle kan afbreek te steel.
"Hulle verdwyn dan net weer in die rivier in en mens sien hulle eers weer as hulle weer toeslaan."
Volgens 'n lid van die buurtwag gaan hulle die rivier gereeld besoek en stelselmatig begin "skoonmaak".
"Ons kan nie langer toelaat dat mense se eiendom gesteel word en dat die rivier in so 'n toestand is nie."
'n Navraag oor die voorkoms van misdaad wat aan die toeneem is, asook die situasie by die rivier is aan die polisie sowel as die munisipaliteit gestuur en daar word op terugvoering gewag.
Drought aid from Burre Burger’s was a lifeline to many Karoo farmers during the worst of the drought, but questions have recently been raised about his projects.
Aberdeen farmers received fodder from Burger’s organisation for more than a year, starting in October 2018. Opinion on Burger’s work is deeply divided.
He worked through Pietie van Rensburg, who is full of praise for the aid received. She formed a group of 25 farmers, and each delivery of feed was shared between the members of ‘Die Kol’.
Some farmers question the fairness of only a certain group always receiving the aid.
"Not all of the farmers in Die Kol were in the area worst affected by the drought - some of them have plenty of resources and could have afforded to source their own feed," said one farmer not in the group. "There are about 100 commercial farmers in the area, and it would have been fairer to all if he had worked through the Farmers’ Association, and those who needed help could all have a turn."
Van Rensburg hotly disputes allegations in a recent Rapport article that Die Kol has caused a rift in the Aberdeen farming community, saying that the divide was apparent long before Burger was on the scene.
The claim that Burger asks for money from those receiving aid was also vehemently denied. "Burre gave the option - it was me who decided to ask people to make donations for the feed," said Van Rensburg. "But if people couldn’t afford to pay, we still gave to them," she added.
"I feel it was wrong of Burre to claim that he was helping ‘Aberdeen farmers,’ as my friends in other areas thought that all the farmers were being looked after," said one farmer. "They donated money to Burre, thinking it would help me, but I was not in Die Kol."
Burger no longer delivers to the Aberdeen area.
According to several sources, this is because of the division between the farmers.