Seven out of nine provinces of South Africa have been badly affected by the incessant rains.
Johannesburg:
Days after the government declared a ‘state of disaster’ over the power crisis in the country, the South African government has declared a state of emergency over severe flooding in various parts of the country following incessant rains since last week.
A national disaster may be declared by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs where catastrophic events occur or are expected to occur in more than one province.
“The National Disaster Management Center (NDMC), in terms of Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, has classified the impact of the current, above-normal rainfall in different parts of the country – Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape provinces are the most affected. – a as a national disaster,” the presidency said in a statement on Monday.
South Africa suffered massive blackouts after it declared a state of disaster last Thursday, largely because state-owned electricity supplier Eskom was unable to meet demand following widespread looting and shutdown of its operations. were unable to finance.
Seven of South Africa’s nine provinces have been badly hit by the incessant rains, including the economic hub of Gauteng province.
The national state of emergency enabled an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of the floods affecting Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape and North West provinces.
“Taken together, these conditions call for the provision of temporary shelters, food and blankets to homeless families and individuals, and costly rehabilitation of large-scale infrastructure.
“National entities, including the South African Police Service and the South African National Defense Force, may need to play a role in the response to the disaster,” the Presidency said.
The NDMC said it had received reports of infrastructure damage ranging from inundated homes, vehicles swept away by floodwaters and overflow of dams and sewerage facilities, and damage to roads, bridges and the Limpopo hospital.
Farmers have suffered crop and livestock losses, and further losses are feared as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) predicts that heavy rains will continue for the last two months of the South African summer.
It states, “These conditions are brought about by La Ni ~ check ~ a global weather phenomenon that occurs in the Pacific Ocean but affects a country like South Africa with higher than normal rainfall.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his gratitude for the response from non-governmental organizations and community-based structures, who have called on him to assist the government in addressing the situation.
The inclement weather has also affected many businesses and homes that have become dependent on rooftop solar power for electricity amid the crisis, as the lack of sunlight for several days does not allow these systems to recharge.
Eskom has implemented load shedding which leaves parts of the country without power for three alternating seasons of several hours a day. PTI FH AMS
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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