Lightning, strong and damaging surface winds, heavy rainfall, and floods that ravaged Limpopo in March have been declared a provincial disaster by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).
NDMC head, Dr Elias Sithole, this week announced that the declaration followed deliberations with various organs of state and the Provincial Disaster Management Centre through the National Joint Flood Coordinating Committees, and after assessing the magnitude and severity of severe weather that wreaked havoc in the province.
The floods caused significant impacts in many parts of Limpopo, resulting in loss of life, damage to property, infrastructure, and the environment, as well as the disruption of basic services.
In terms of the Disaster Management Act, the primary responsibility to coordinate and manage this provincial disaster, in terms of existing legislation and contingency arrangements, is designated to the provincial executive.
Sithole called upon all organs of state to further strengthen their support provided to the existing structures to implement their contingency arrangements and to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to enable the provincial executive to effectively deal with the effects of the disaster.
He also encouraged organs of state, the private sector, communities, and individuals to improve their practices of risk avoidance programmes through the implementation of flood risk reduction practices.
Sithole recommended that the national and provincial executives and the municipal councils in the affected areas implement a multi-sectoral prevention, mitigation, relief, and rehabilitation plan to deal with the effects of the disaster.
Each organ of state must prepare and submit progress reports, in line with the NDMC’s requirements, to monitor their response initiatives, as well as those of non-governmental organisations and communities.
“Furthermore, all affected organs of state must prepare and submit reports, as required by the NDMC and as outlined in Section 24(4) to (8) of the Act,” explained Sithole, adding that the future revocation of the disaster classification and its preconditions will be outlined.
During his budget vote speech last week, Limpopo Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure MEC Sebataolo Ernest Rachoene said R4.2 billion has been allocated by the Provincial Treasury to his department to fix roads and bridges damaged by the floods.
Earlier this year, Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba explained that preliminary assessments indicate that the province may require close to R10bn for comprehensive recovery efforts following the recent floods.
The provincial government allocated R800 million towards recovery, while awaiting a response from the NDMC.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Dr Ivan Meyer said the provincial government wants to consider classifying the heavy rains that swept through the province over the past few weeks as a provincial disaster.
The provincial government will then approach the NDMC to seek a formal declaration to unlock additional national resources to support recovery efforts.
There were 11 fatalities reported and the worst affected areas were the Cape Winelands District, the West Coast District, and the City of Cape Town, according to the provincial government.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za
