Sticky, Spider Web-Like Materials Falling Over South Africa Source: Rapport Newspaper July 23, 2000
Are these sticky, spider web-like materials that are
falling on to the Karoo areas from the air and forming a blanket like
appearance across the vegetation, telephone poles and barbed wire,
something falling out of space? Is this waste material falling from
space? Or is this something which has its origins in the aeroplanes
that fly so frequently over the area?
Karoo farmers in the district of De Aar are really
puzzled about this. Some of them believe that the Karoo is becoming
the dumping ground for space debris. Some of the cattle in the area
have apparently also become ill after they ate some of the cotton-like
fibres which are evident on some of the feeding vegetation. These
cotton-like fibres look as if they come from the air because of the
way they float down to the ground and pollute the veldt and
vegetation.
"The Karoo has never looked like this before," say some
of the farmers that have farmed in the area for a number of years.
Mr. Koos du Toit from the farm Henopskraal has this past
week shown to the Rapport newspaper where the fine fibres of the
sticky, cotton-like substance have become stuck to the bushes and
fences on his farm. Recent rain has washed away some of these fibres
but he says he is confident that the debris will again start falling
to the ground from the air, as has been the case for the past month.
The farmers and even one of the town inhabitants who has
found fibres in his garden believe its origins are from the aeroplanes
which cross the area between Cape Town and Johannesburg on a daily
basis. It was mentioned that it could even be the chemicals which are
used to dissolve the human excrement and toilet paper in the
aeroplanes. Or it is even speculated as being some space debris with
its origins from the satellites circling the earth.
Du Toit says that these strange objects have fallen on
to his farm for the second time recently. Some of these fibres are up
to two metres long and he found some hanging over the telephone poles
on his farm. When it is rubbed between the fingers the texture of the
substance becomes fragmented and even disappears. It appears to have
no smell whatsoever.
"Two of my best cows have fallen ill this past month,
ever since the debris started falling on to my farm. These cows showed
the symptoms of the illness by large bumps appearing on their hides,
they became extremely listless and even became blind."
These sticky, spider web-like fibres seem to be a threat
to Mr. Du Toit's Lucern lambs as his Lucerns seem to be exposed to
this fallout and the chances of their becoming poisoned with this can
lead to further illnesses amongst his animals and lead to monetary
loss.
Mr. Petrus van Rooyen (48) is a farm worker for Mr.Du
Toit who first noticed these strange sticky fibres and he maintains
that he saw bundles of these fibres falling out of an aeroplane
crossing above the area. After these fibres fell out of the aeroplane
they spread over a wide area and landed in the veldt. Now Mr. Van
Rooyen maintains that even the children have been in contact with
these fibres and that these fibres make their hair sticky.
Some of these wiry fibres have also apparently fallen on
the adjacent farm next to that of Mr. Du Toit.
Mr. Willie Pool also found some of these fibres in the
town in his garden.
A certain Mr. Coenie Muller was in his car when some of
the debris landed on his car during transit.
It is reported that a lot of these fibres have been
washed away by the recent rain in the Karoo area.
Rapport found a piece of this fibre on Thursday last
week and sent it to Professor Derek Litthauer who is the Head of the
Department of Microbiology at the FreeState University for his
information and analysis. He humoured the situation by suggesting this
may be a piece of Manna falling out of the heavens.
"It looks as if these wires are synthetic but we will
have to investigate and analyse before we can comment any further."
by Maryna van Wyk
South Africa, Cape Edition