The Gamagara River in flood:   

Dibeng (Deben) is situated on the banks of the dry Gamagara River in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.

Dibeng was given its name by the Tswana people and it means ‘first drinking place’, Dibeng is also called ‘the sunflower town’ because, as residents have to provide their water, every property sports a windpump.

The town has very strong Dutch Reformed roots, the congregations at Kuruman, Kathu, and Olifantshoek having seceded from the original congregation in Dibeng.

This is also where the Gamagara river runs through. The name Gamogara is of Setswana origin. The municipality is named after a dry river which was in turn named after a man called Mogara of the Makwere clan (Batlhaping). The name is derived from a dry river that ran from Dibeng to join the Kuruman (Segonyana) river at Dikgatlong tsa ga Kganyile.

From the cache GZ, it is a short distance to the dry riverbed which makes the Gamagara. Very seldom in the rainy season, a small amount of water is found in the river with prehistoric shrimp-like creatures resembling horseshoe crabs emerging from nowhere.

The Gamagara River is an intermittent stream (class H – Hydrographic) in Northern Cape, South Africa (Africa) with the region font code of Africa/Middle East. It is located at an elevation of 1,022 meters above sea level. Gamagara River is also known as Lower Dikgatlhong, Lower Dikgatlon.

After the renewed heavy rainfall from Tuesday, 26 January 2021, in the Northern Cape the rainfall was measured at various places: Van Zylsrus, more than 250 mm was measured. Kathu was measured at 170mm during the night.

Deben was underwater! The Gamagara River, which apparently has not flowed at all for 46 years, is in flood.

The 2021 flood:  Heavy rains struck John Taolo Gaetsewe District from Tuesday, 26 January 2021, and through the night. Plenty of damages came along with this blessing! Here are some of the devastating pictures that the Kathu Gazette has received from the Taolo Gaetsewe District.