These images, and the text accompanying them, show just how dangerously fast a river can rise, in this case the Bokspruit in the Eastern Cape Highlands, earlier this month. The story is from Arnie Vosloo, son of Carien and Basie Vosloo of Birkhall Farm in the area. Arnie says:

These pictures were taken by Dad’s farm manager Coenie Pieterse. He was on his way up to Gateshead. When he reached Bothwell the water from the little stream was over the bridge before Glennesbit and when he looked up the valley he saw a wall of water coming down the river. He turned around and raced back down the valley to get back over the bridge at Welgemoed before the water arrived. He waited about 5 minutes and photographed the water arriving. As is evident from the pictures, the water at first only went over the bridge, but as it increased in volume and more trees blocked the bridge, the water jumped its banks and in the end it was flowing around the Welgemoed farmhouse. It apparently washed away a 165 Massey Ferguson tractor parked at the Welgemoed house!

Click in images to enlarge

You can just make out the bridge at Welgemoed

After a few minutes there’s less bridge to see!

Moments later the bridge has gone!

And the images of the Bokspruit valley below came to me from Nigel Bennett and they say it all! I will soon be posting a lovely article from Nigel where he describes his stay on the Bokspruit during this devastation.

By comparison, this image from Nigel Bennett shows the Bokspruit in peak condition