Concern over eThekwini Municipality's disaster management capabilities

A REPORT by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has raised concerns about the eThekwini Municipality's ability to respond effectively to natural disasters.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

The report highlights numerous issues that could impede the city’s ability to coordinate and respond to natural disasters, including staff vacancies.

Over the past five years, eThekwini Metro has been among the municipalities with the highest number of disaster incidents.

The entire province is grappling with weather extremes, fires, limited resources, vulnerable communities, and inadequate infrastructure.

The report found that in eThekwini, there is inadequate staff capacity. The information management and communication system is hosted by another unit, making it difficult for the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) to execute its legislative mandate.

Itwas also noted that the Disaster Management Framework is outdated and there is insufficient active participation from interdepartmental units within the metro.