Note to Editors: Please note Marlaine Nair, MPL sound bite in English
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is pushing for municipalities across the province to be better prepared for severe winter weather. This after gale force winds and snowfalls hit the province this week, leaving devastation in their wake.
While the DA welcomes early warnings issued by KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, and his department – which provided many residents with vital preparation time and may well have saved lives – there remain deeper systemic issues that cannot be ignored.
This weeks’ devastation is real, and it is recurring. This begs the question: Why, after years of warnings, floods, and climate-related emergencies, are KZN’s municipalities still not fully prepared?
Municipal disaster management cannot be an afterthought. Nor should it be left to KZN’s CoGTA department to pick up the pieces when municipalities fail to prepare adequately. Too often, when disaster strikes, some municipalities have no fuel for generators, no crews on standby and no communication plan for affected communities.
The reality is that many KZN municipalities lack fully operational disaster response units or – if they do – communities are unaware of them. Despite millions of rands being allocated – and almost a decade since construction began – there are still some disaster management centres that remain incomplete.
These are not just building projects – they are lifelines that could coordinate rapid response and save lives. That they remain incomplete is not just a budget issue, it is a reflection of misplaced priorities and poor oversight. And, while it may be easy to point to storm damage as an act of nature, the damage is often worsened by what could have been prevented.
KZN’s municipalities can no longer rely on national disaster grants or KZN COGTA support alone. They must prioritise the allocation of adequate funds for disaster management and take proactive measures including clearing stormwater channels, reinforcing key infrastructure, maintaining equipment and training personnel to respond swiftly and effectively.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) the DA will push for municipalities to take disaster management seriously – not just when storm clouds gather, but every day of the year. Lives depend on it. Our province can no longer repeat the cycle of warning, waiting and then rebuilding. The situation demands investment in readiness, accountability, and local resilience – before the next storm arrives.