Page 23 - Landscape SA 96

IRRIGATION FEATURE

Combining science and faith, Dr Gideon Groenewald has been able to find water
in drought-stricken South Africa to help poor communities

When he received a call from NGO Gift of “When I am looking for a place to drill, intervals to work out the cyclic patterns of
the Givers, he believed it was the path that I only work between 1-4 am. I meditate drought.
had been planned for his life. Founder Dr and then God indicates to me where the
Imtiaz Sooliman and Groenewald both potential drill sites are. His way of keeping “Climatologically, we have 11 year cycles
believe the cracks, rocks and plants that me humble is to give me a dry borehole which are very clear in South Africa. Then
indicate water can be found. His method is now and then.” you have 55 year cycles, 110 year cycles,
a combination of science and faith. 220 year cycles and 1100 year cycles and
South Africa will never be drought-free it looks like we are in a downward spiral of
“I go onto Google and find a satellite above and Groenewald, who has studied the the long cycles. That said, while the shorter
the area we are focussing on. I fly 78km history of drought, believes the country cycles can be wetter than in previous
above the earth and look for ancient fault is in a troubling period that may never years, we are going backwards in terms of
zones caused when Antarctica bumped improve. rainfall which is becoming more and more
against Africa. I map them, fly down to scarce. The driest year will be 2033. We are
800m above the ground, make a GPS, go “According to my records, based on not experiencing the real drought yet. The
there, do a geo-magnetic survey and then archaeological and paleontological data worst is still to come.”
God helps men find out where the hole which goes back 300 million years, I think
must be. It could be half a metre away and South Africa is in the worst drought in Groenewald is however finding water for
then you won’t find water. That is a faith 1000 years. It seems like this summer, desperate communities with considerable
and knowledge issue. If the rock is wrong, we might be going into a very dry cycle, success. In the Kwa-Kwa region close to
then I don’t drill any deeper. I move the rig which means this will take us into another Bethlehem, they drilled a borehole that
until I get the right rocks that indicate the 10 dry years. I measured my data in the supplies 50 000 people with water every
aquifers that store the water. mountains of the Eastern Cape in 10 cm day. A borehole at a school in Mahkanda

Landscape SA • Issue 96 2020 21