October in southern Africa is summer and the beginning of the rainy season. In previous years, various places began to enter the rainy season one after another. Precipitation increased sharply, river water surged, and most of southern Africa entered the wet season.
This year's situation is a bit unusual. Severe droughts occurred in several states including Windhoek last year. This year, the drought area continues to expand. After the Cape and Dias states and Windhoek states entered the rainy season, it rained all the time.
Not down.
By November, the areas affected by the drought continued to expand, and even Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which had always had good weather, were suffering from drought, which attracted great attention from the federal government.
"The water lines of Lake Nyasa and the North Sea have dropped by more than 1.5 meters compared with last year. The water storage capacity of Crocodile Bay Reservoir has exceeded the warning line, and the power generation capacity continues to decrease. If it cannot be replenished in time, it may affect Johannesburg and Belgium.
The power supply in Pretoria, about 5,500 hectares of farms have been affected by drought, and millions of people have drinking water crises. "Irving brought all bad news. The federal government has allocated an emergency allocation of 10 million rand for disaster relief, but...
Compared to the severe drought, R10 million is just a drop in the bucket.
"Is there any good news in the weather forecast?" Rock was worried.
Regardless of the seriousness of the current drought, if there is no rain for a month or two, it will not have a big impact on Southern Africa. After all, farmers in Southern Africa are rich and have a strong ability to withstand risks. Even if they have no income for a few months,
It won't go bankrupt either.
Roque is worried that there will be a major epidemic after a major disaster, not to mention that it is not known how long the drought will last. If it lasts for one or two years or even longer, it will cause a devastating blow to the agriculture of southern Africa.
"No, the weather forecast shows that this drought will be severe. It is expected that the precipitation in this year's rainy season will be at least 30% less than in previous years." Owen felt heavy. The precipitation in southern Africa is very uneven.
The western Cape and southern Dias, which receive the least rainfall, only receive a pitiful 60 millimeters of rainfall per year. If it were reduced by 30%, it would be the same as not having a drop of rain at all.
"Ada, prepare another special fund to at least ensure the supply of drinking water in the disaster-stricken areas - Martin, order the National Guard to be prepared and ready to join the disaster relief at any time - Cecil, the Ministry of Justice must cheer up, if
Anyone who dares to break the law and commit a crime at this time must be severely punished." Roque took precautions before they happened. In a disaster situation, anything could happen.
Just because crime rates are low in Southern Africa doesn't mean people are peaceful.
On the contrary, under the deliberate guidance of the federal government, Southern Africans are full of martial arts, every household has a gun, and they can do anything to survive. It is inevitable that some people will take risks.
Of course, not all is bad. Disasters will certainly amplify the dark side of people's hearts, but if the federal government responds properly, it will also enhance the cohesion of southern Africa. Roque regards the drought as an all-round test for federal governments at all levels. If
If he can successfully pass the test, Rock will be more confident to survive the coming Great Depression.
"We can use water trucks to transport drinking water to the disaster-stricken areas -" Aida can use the fire trucks of the fire brigade and the municipal sprinklers of the province. The water resources in southern Africa are still very abundant, but the branches are not
Evenly, all localities must also make full use of the conditions, and cannot rely solely on the federal government for rescue.
"We can use this opportunity to continue building reservoirs, dredging rivers, and providing relief through work--" Owen learned a lot from Rock, and everything must be viewed dialectically, as misfortunes and blessings depend on it.
"Should we prepare for a military exercise?" Martin was worried that someone might take advantage of the situation.
"No, order the troops to prepare -" Rock was not worried about this problem.
There are no strong enemies around southern Africa. It is separated from the French colonies by the two Congoes, and to the north are the British colonies, all of which are owned by their own people. Surrounded by seas to the east, west and south, no country dares to challenge the authority of southern Africa.
Even if there were, Rock was not afraid. Potential enemies in southern Africa were thousands of miles away from southern Africa. Even if a war broke out, it would be difficult for the flames of war to reach southern Africa itself.
Well, the potential enemies of Southern Africa are clearly the United States and Japan. Let’s not talk about the probability of a war breaking out. Even if it breaks out, the United States and Japan will attack Southern Africa, and the logistics supply lines will be stretched to a desperate level.
On the contrary, there is a higher chance that the war will reach the mainland of the United States and Japan. After all, the United States is next to Canada, and Japan and southern Africa are separated by the East Indies. If there is a war, Japan may not have a chance to break through the Strait of Malacca.
"Inform all states to prepare for disasters, and everyone must take action. Two months without rain is not the end of the world for Southern Africa. We have the ability and confidence to pass this test--" Roque said, these words are actually
Better to say it on the radio.
Of course, Rock will not ignore the role of radio.
At a time when television had not yet appeared, radio was the most effective propaganda tool.
After the meeting, Roque delivered a public speech at the Palace of Justice, which was broadcast live to the country via radio, calling on all southern Africans to unite and fight the drought.
"——Southern Africa is a country with a glorious tradition. We united and helped each other to win the world war and gained respect from the whole world. Now is another test for us in southern Africa. We are not afraid of any disaster. As long as we unite in
Together, no difficulty can scare us—"
Rock was giving a speech on the radio. The whole bar was silent, and everyone listened attentively.
"What's the use of giving a speech on the radio? It's better to give money to each of us directly. There is no grass growing on my farm now. God bless, if it doesn't rain again, my cows and sheep will die of thirst——"
In the corner of the bar, Marshall from the United States complained softly.
Yes, although the United States is also a country of immigrants, in fact the United States is not a paradise for immigrants. After many people immigrate to the United States, if they cannot get the life they want, they will continue to wander.
Especially after the World War, the United States is no longer the first choice for European immigrants, but southern Africa.
Some people who were depressed in the United States also came to southern Africa to try their luck, and Marshall was one of them.
However, Marshall had not been in southern Africa for a long time and did not have enough understanding of southern Africa. He still followed the habit in the United States and scolded the president no matter what.
More than just scolding, the Americans are so anxious that they even dare to kill the president. I ask you if you are afraid.
The situation in southern Africa is different from that in the United States. Instead of being echoed by others, Marshall's words attracted a lot of angry looks.
"What's wrong? What did I say wrong?" Marshall didn't know what went wrong.
"If you are really worried about cattle and sheep, then you should go dig wells now instead of complaining here." Someone immediately retorted, and Rock's prestige in southern Africa was not just a boast.
"Did you dig a well when you were thirsty? What's your point?" Marshall dismissed it. He was afraid that the man would die of thirst before the well was dug.
"We Chinese have an idiom called "Be prepared for a rainy day. Do you know what it means?" The strong Chinese man wearing work clothes and carrying a pistol on his waist has a sinister face. Most farmers are like this.
Marshall didn't know and didn't answer. He was sensitive enough to realize that he seemed to have offended the public.
"Your farm is not the only one affected. At this time, we should unite and tide over the difficulties together as the Lord said -" The strong man did not explain. The key is unity, unity, unity. Say important things three times.
In the past, southern Africa was actually similar to "bulk southern Africa". The Cape, Orange, Transvaal, and northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland each had their own ideas and were divided in an awkward manner.
.
Now Roque is trying to change that and bring "Bulk Southern Africa" together.
It's easier said than done, especially in an immigrant country like Southern Africa. The United States has more than 200 years of history, but Southern Africa has less than 20 years of history. Rock doesn't expect to achieve the level of unity among all people.
As long as you don't sweep the snow in front of your door, it will be fine.
This is also the reason why Roque emphasized "unity" many times in his speech. Brainwashing is subtle. Lies repeated a thousand times will become the truth. If you hear the word "unity" too much, people will also be subconsciously affected.
"Unity? Haha, there is no such word in our dictionary. There is a lack of forage in my pasture. Can you give me some of your forage?" Marshall did not have this consciousness at all.
This cannot be blamed on Marshall. In the long history of Europe, there is indeed no word "unity". After all, Europe has never been truly unified. In addition, there is the British as a troublemaker next to the European continent. Unity is even more difficult to think about.
.
The same goes for the United States. Although the United States is a unified country, it was still fighting the Civil War a few years ago, and unity is even more of a dream.
"Yes, as long as you are willing to pay the current price, I can sell you my forage." The strong Chinese man was serious. As long as he gave me money, he could talk about anything.
"Ha, is this the unity you are talking about?" Marshall laughed, as if he had heard some terrible joke.
"Come on, Marshall, it would be great if Tiger could sell you the grass. Don't go too far. Do you still want it for free?" The bar owner really couldn't stand it. Marshall would offend everyone, and the bar would lose its value.
A stable customer.
Tiger’s surname is Hu, which is pronounced as tiger. Tiger is not his name, but his nickname.
"Then don't talk so nicely. All solidarity is a lie and doesn't exist in reality at all -" Marshall didn't care. He never expected to get any help from other people. The adult society is very cruel.
But Marshall soon learned what the southern African people meant by "unity."
