Situated near the southern Drakensberg, the now dusty village of Matatiele lies 70 kilometres from Kokstad, near the junction of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and southern Lesotho borders. Broadly translated, Matatiele means “the geese have flown” in Sotho – a reference to the once water-abundant wetlands and marshes of this area that were home to many wild birds.
One of the reasons for Matatiele’s present day water woes is the prevalence of Black Wattle, a tree native to Australia that has taken over the area. Left unchecked, this thirsty tree has rapidly diminished the natural wetlands across the Eastern Cape, with each tree absorbing up to 25 litres per day.
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