Disaster Management in KwaZulu-Natal is in a dire situation

22 January 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal is concerned about the state of the Disaster Management unit and the effects that this has on responding to natural and man made disasters. Consequently, we will conduct a full scale investigation.

Responses to DA parliamentary questions about disaster management in the province reveal a department that is severely underfunded and understaffed. Not only this but there are a number of serious issues relating to the ability of the department to respond to disasters in the province. Responses reveal:

There are 22 people employed in the provincial disaster management centre with 19 vacancies

There is a budget shortfall of R298 083 000 in the department to achieve optimal performance

CoGTA must support local municipalities by establishing disaster management centres specifically for the effective functionality of disaster management and fire response (R50 million required)

A United State 911 fund partnership has lapsed depriving the unit of critical firefighting clothing, training and equipment

Fire fighting capabilities in the province are severely stressed which has a knock on effect on investor confidence and employee safety especially in high risk municipalities (R60 million required)

There is a dire need for a provincial fire and rescue training academy instead of the reliance on external service providers (R50 million required)

The unit requires an integrated communications system to monitor and respond to disasters (R50 million required)

In terms of vehicles, the unit is in desperate need of specialised equipment including:

5 x fire engines

1 x mobile command bus

5 x search and rescue fleet

5 x search and rescue equipment

2 x high ladder fire trucks

5 x hazmat units

The department currently has 13 operational vehicles across the whole province with only 6 specialised fire vehicles.

Of greatest concern in the short term is that the unit has had its funding cut from R50.8 million to R17.9 million due to universal Covid-19 budget cuts. These cuts are unjustifiable given that a pandemic by definition is a disaster. It would have made more sense if the department had budget increases during this period and not cuts.

During a DA provincial engagement between caucus leaders this week the following was also revealed:

There are allegations of abuse of disaster grants provided to municipalities

Joint Operation Committees (JOC) set up in response to Covid-19 are largely dysfunctional or have become highly politicised

There is a lack of communication from government before, during and after disasters

Allegations of food parcels being abused to win ANC votes

Further to the abovementioned issues the eThekwini Municipality raised concerns about serious delays in receiving payments from provincial and national government during times of disaster. EThewkini complained that they are forced to use their own budget to fund disaster response efforts while they wait for lengthy approval processes. This can sometimes take years. DA Caucus leaders in KZN confirmed that this is a phenomenon that is being experienced across the province.

The revelations are an indictment on the ANC-led government in KwaZulu-Natal. Billions of Rands have been allocated to disaster management over the years and more especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Serious questions must be raised about what has happened that has lead to the severe shortages and deficiencies in the unit. The state of the unit has a negative impact on communities and shows a lack of care by government.

The DA will be conducting a full investigation into the real state of the unit and will pressure MEC Hlomuka to take action to resolve the problems. This will include oversight visits to decapitated bases and incomplete projects. Given that there is a tropical cyclone at our doorsteps it is imperative that the provincial government provide urgent responses to the state of the unit and what is being done to prepare for current and future disasters.

Issued by Chris Pappas, DA KZN Spokesperson on CoGTA, 22 January 2021