Five years of thirst: S.Africa's Eastern Cape battles brutal drought In South Africa's Eastern Cape province, no one can remember the last proper downpour. Some say it was five years ago, others six. Residents are relying on water distributions, with dramatic consequences for farmers, schoolchildren and traders. In Southern Africa as a whole, where temperatures are rising twice as fast as the rest of the world, people are experiencing the worst drought in thirty-five years, according to the UN. N°1N17C2N°1N23RG