[Article by Paula Fray: "Farming Folk Despair as Crops Wilt"--First paragraph is THE STAR introduction. Johannesburg THE STAR in English 17 Feb 92 p 11]

[Text] As the sun beats down on the Free State, it is met by the rising heat from the baked soil. And, as the weeks pass without rain, the drought takes a rising human toll.

Thousands of farm labourers are flocking to Free State towns in the futile hope of getting work. But, with no hope of a harvest this year, chances are that most will end up in the burgeoning squatter camps where malnutrition is growing rapidly.

Operation Hunger field coordinator Anthony Mfila says about 55 percent of children between the ages of five and 15 are malnourished. Most of them are recent migrants from the farm areas.

"Unless help is given, this will definitely rise," he adds.

Not only have farmers been crippled by the drought, but the economic situation has led to numerous retrenchments at factories in the smaller towns.

Throughout the Free State fields of mealies present fool's gold for the hopeful. Their growth stunted, their green appearance belies one of the worst droughts the country has ever seen.

As more and more farm labourers move to the cities, swelling squatter communities, organisations such as Operation Hunger are straining to cope with the increasing number of malnourished children. Kwashiorkor is becoming more common.

Lusaka squatter camp, outside Theunissen, is one such area, filled with farm labourers without hope of work this year.

"About 40 percent of the black rural community survive on seasonal work. This year, there will not be a harvest," says Operation Hunger regional director Judity Mokgetle.

Theunissen's Sister Sophia Cockrell, has seen the influx of workers and how her sisters strain to cope.

Although the clinic has received finance for targeted assistance from the government, Sister Cockrell does not believe the rest of the community can survive without Operation Hunger's help.

An outbreak of measles has prompted an urgent immunisation programme at local schools.

But she says, "There is an enormous problem with tuberculosis and malnutrition."

While the former is complicated by overcrowded conditions, the latter is severely exacerbated by ignorance, says Sister Cockrell.

Most farm mothers are unaware of symptoms of malnutrition and nurses tell of mothers boasting that their children are gaining weight when the symptoms are really malnourishment.

"We find that once diarrhoea sets in that the mothers first use home-made remedies, including an enema, under the mistaken impression it is something the children have eaten.

"By the time they are taken to local clinics the children are not only malnourished but dehydrated as well," says Mrs. Mokgetle.

The despair is shared by the farming community.

Clement Seape has fought against the system for over 20 years as one of the country's few black farmers.

But the drought may yet present his biggest challenge.

"In my entire experience as a farmer we have never had such a dry February with temperatures of up to 35 deg C.

"I planted, hoping it would rain. But when it did come it was just a drop in the ocean. The soil is as dry as a bone," says Mr. Seape.

"The farmers' future is already jeopardised. In the last six years we have had more drought than good years.

"I planted 200 hectares of sunflowers. But the sunflowers which normally withstand the heat start wilting.... The mealies are a write-off. If by March there is still no rain, I will have no stock left by July," he says.

The owner of two farms--one of 140 ha and another of 600 ha--Mr. Seape is not only facing the consequences of the drought but also increased violence and theft against Free State farmers.

"I brought some sheep here the other day--40 of them got stolen in broad daylight," he says, shrugging.

It is impossible to plant mealies, or even pumpkins, out of eyesight, he adds, attributing the increase in crime to a breakdown in law and order.

At this stage he has not needed to retrench any of his workers but there will be no harvesting this year and so seasonal labour will not be hired.