Cyclone Dineo: Government must have plans in place to mitigate impact on the most vulnerable
17 February 2017
With the cyclone Dineo expected to hit three provinces, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, national government must ensure that a clear disaster management plan is in place to ensure that the impact on the most vulnerable is lessened.
The role of national government is to provide guidance and support to the provincial and local governments in developing their capacity for dealing with disasters, and to provide physical assistance if requested. Constitutionally, the national government bears primary responsibility for disaster risk management.
According to the Disaster Management Act of 2002, a National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) is tasked with promoting an integrated and co-ordinated system of disaster management, and with special emphasis on prevention and mitigation.
Specifically, the NDMC: