The government of national unity has promised swift responses to natural disasters and the Western Cape, one of the worst hit areas, has been the first to benefit.
National minister of co-operative governance & traditional affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa (of the IFP) says better co-ordination is vital when dealing with disasters.
Western Cape premier Alan Winde says the response to a recent request for a disaster declaration came on the same day. “We got a reply to say we can go ahead with the declaration of disaster,” he says. “There’s a different feeling, a different vibe and a different attitude. Within days we could get a declaration done. We’ve agreed that we must get the costing done within a month.” The province, however, is still waiting for the costs of last year’s disasters.
The Western Cape suffered flood damage while KwaZulu-Natal was hit by fires, both of which President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned in the opening of parliament last month.
At least 33,000 structures and more than 100,000 people were affected in Cape Town alone.
Hlabisa, who has visited both the provinces that were hit, says: “We are living in a period of climate change. We need to be proactive. We will have to make a memorandum of understanding so that we can mobilise all resources. Every disaster needs a financial injection. We will come up with a new model in terms of disaster management.”
Speaking outside parliament last month, Hlabisa said his department will approach the National Treasury “so that when a disaster strikes we can quickly press that button and follow all procurement processes to ensure there is no corruption or duplication while we mobilise departments. We will escalate [this] to all provinces in South Africa ... and co-ordinate the resources available. We will perform better and on time. Co-ordination is going to be key in terms of equipment and financial resources.”
He also urged the co-operation of the private sector. “When a disaster strikes, it affects the economy. So everybody must be on board.” He acknowledged in parliament that there were issues with timing and bureaucracy. “Key elements of the disaster management function were assigned to municipalities through legislation, but without funding,” he said.
There’s a different feeling, a different vibe and a different attitude. Within days we could get a declaration done
— Alan Winde
The new approach follows criticism from NGOs that the government has been slow to act.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, says in an open letter that disaster management teams do a fantastic job of removing debris, clearing drains, securing power lines and saving lives, but wonders where government departments were in providing emergency shelter from day one.
“Government needs a co-ordinated, simple, one-department structure that has all regulations in place, cutting out bureaucracy, to respond rapidly, efficiently and decisively,” says Sooliman.
“This is not the first disaster of this magnitude and it won’t be the last. Are we ever going to be ready? The time is long overdue for all tiers of government to find a humane solution for shack dwellers where immense suffering and loss of life, whether in fire or flood, are preventable.”
Cape Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Jacques Moolman welcomed the declaration of a provincial disaster but tells the FM that more needs to be done by the government in responding to disasters.
“It does not look as though enough input has been made to learn from the past,” says Moolman. “The same problems are occurring in many places. It seems either the government is not prepared for the impact or has not budgeted adequately.”
Moolman says three bridges in Franschhoek were declared unsuitable last year to handle the volume of water passing below them, but 10 months later two are still closed.
Disaster management officials have been reluctant, he says, to put a final figure on the most recent storm damage. He says it is not so much the impact on ports but the way rural roads and bridges have been affected. “Farmers can’t harvest and can’t get ripe fruit to port for exports. Damage to infrastructure, especially roads and passes, has been exacerbated by the latest heavy rain, causing disruption to business, especially agriculture.”
The fruit industry, he adds, was particularly affected, with Citrusdal being cut off.
The ANC in the Western Cape welcomed the declaration of disaster. The party’s leader in the provincial legislature, Khalid Sayed, says it is vital to work together. “We urge swift action and comprehensive planning to address the immediate needs of the displaced and affected communities, and to work on long-term solutions to rebuild and strengthen our infrastructure, reduce the housing backlog and address apartheid spatial planning.”
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