President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national disaster in order to increase reaction to the terrible flooding that has ravaged seven of South Africa’s nine provinces.
The national state of disaster legislation gives the government more flexibility, including the ability to circumvent legal restrictions on the acquisition and supply of goods and services.
According to a statement issued by the president’s office on Monday, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape have been hit the hardest by the floods, which were caused by heavy rains triggered by the La Nina weather phenomenon. Flooding has also happened in the provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs may proclaim a national state of disaster if devastating circumstances occur or threaten to occur in more than one province, according to the statement. “In agriculture, farmers have suffered crop and livestock losses, and anticipate further losses as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) predicts that current heavy rains will persist,” the statement continued.
The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) is still monitoring and coordinating response and recovery efforts by appropriate governmental organisations and stakeholders. This also covers the South African Weather Service’s distribution of early alerts and advisories on weather forecasts (SAWS).
Forecasts show that this weather pattern will persist into later parts of 2023, according to the statement. Last week, Ramaphosa proclaimed a national state of disaster due to South Africa’s persistent power crisis, which is harming the country’s economy. Furthermore, the National Disaster Act was invoked in April 2017 to manage flooding in KwaZulu-eastern Natal’s province, and in March 2020 to address the coronavirus pandemic.