‘ANC-Inspired’ Blackouts Destroying Food Production in Africa’s Breadbasket, Exhausted Farmers Say

Herman du Preez, owner of the Frangipani Boerdery farm, poses for a portrait inside a barn near Lichtenburg on January 23, 2023. Electricity disruptions led to the deaths of 40,000 chickens on Jan. 16, when insufficient voltage resulted in the air conditioning at one of the farm's chicken houses shutting down. Guillem Sartorio/AFP via Getty Images

Herman du Preez planted his boots in the red dust at the entrance to one of his chicken sheds, its silver exterior gleaming in the sunlight. He folded his thick, tanned forearms across his chest, and declared quietly but firmly, “I’ve had enough.”

The 46-year-old fourth-generation farmer in South Africa’s arid North West Province exudes strength, although his eyes are red and watery from fatigue and stress.