The South African Government has declared a National State of Disaster to enable an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of floods that are affecting Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West provinces.
The declaration, made in terms of the Disaster Management Act of 2002, was on Monday gazetted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
Constitutionally, a national disaster may be declared by the Minister of CoGTA where disastrous events occur or threaten to occur in more than one province.
The Presidency on Monday said the National Disaster Management Centre has received reports ranging from flooded homes, vehicles swept away by floodwaters and overflowing dams and sewerage facilities, to the loss of basic infrastructure and damage to roads, bridges and hospitals.
Farmers have suffered crop and livestock losses, and anticipate further losses as the South African Weather Service predicts that current heavy rains will persist.
Forecasts indicate that this weather pattern will remain in this state during the early part of 2023.
