A new White Paper outlines what steps needs to be taken to ensure victims of disasters will have speedy access to emergency assistance, writes Janet Love
Yet another tornado charged through the Eastern Cape this week, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in the Mount Ayliff and Tabankulu districts. The police station, the school, shops, telephone lines and homes were destroyed. At least 22 people died and about 1 000 were left destitute.
The South African Police Service was immediately deployed, and less than 48 hours later, the 11 ministers who form part of the interministerial committee dealing with disaster management were called to a meeting by the committee’s chair, Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development Valli Moosa.
They met to discuss whether the area should be declared a disaster area, thus enabling funds administered by the Department of Welfare to be used to provide assistance to the victims and to organisations involved in the relief efforts.
The existence of the interministerial committee is due to the recognition by the government in 1996 of the absence of any policy, legislative framework or co-ordinated response mechanisms to deal with any type of disaster.
The committee directed an extensive process of consultation which involved all three spheres of government, the private sector, community-based organisations and NGOs. This led to the release in 1997 of the Green Paper on Disaster Management and the launch this week of the White Paper on Disaster Management.
This new policy framework is based on the understanding that what is a flood for one person can be a heavy rainstorm for another. In other words, it is the vulnerability brought about by poverty and inadequate development that makes an event such as heavy rainfall a disaster.
The White Paper underlines the need to link development planning to vulnerability assessments, enabling measures that will reduce the exposure of the poor.
Such risk reduction can only be brought about if there is also a substantial increase in awareness of natural and other threats within society as a whole.
To this end, a chapter of the White Paper is devoted to proposals for a framework for the development of comprehensive disaster management training and community awareness strategies and programmes. Emphasis is placed on the need to enable the implementation of minimum building standards, develop appropriate infrastructure networks and secure adequate resources and capacity, particularly at local level.
The White Paper focuses attention on the need to establish co-ordination mechanisms, early warning and information systems and carry out advance planning.
It also proposes the establishment of a national disaster management centre, which will function primarily as a co- ordinating structure to keep and convey information pertaining to disaster management.
This should greatly strengthen existing capacity for tracking, monitoring and disseminating information, for example, with regard to the sudden influx of people from Lesotho into South Africa a few months ago.
It is proposed that the centre should be located in a central government department as a core structure, made up of a few key trained personnel; but it should be capable of expanding and contracting – as the need arises.
It is also proposed that a national disaster management advisory committee be established with representatives of the three spheres of the government, NGOs and disaster and emergency personnel.
The centre will have to initiate the development of plans in conjunction with various parties. It will have to facilitate the establishment of systems at provincial and local levels, and ensure that risk reduction strategies are included in the land development objectives covered by the Development Facilitation Act and in the integrated development plans drawn up in terms of the Local Government Transition Act. It will also have to establish links within the region and with international organisations.
A recurring problem in all disaster- related work centres on the question of funding. A number of difficulties are associated with the current funding arrangements.
In general, there are no incentives and punitive measures to ensure that all aspects of disaster management are catered for. This applies to prevention, capacity to respond, immediate relief and recovery. Most municipalities have limited financial resources and are unable to allocate sufficient resources to emergency services. The funds from the Disaster Relief Fund take a very long time to reach affected people and there is duplication in its administration.
While the White Paper emphasises the need to encourage self-help arrangements, it acknowledges the need for the government to make a significant contribution to alleviating the effects of disasters in the case of poverty-stricken communities, especially those in rural areas.
Various principles to guide the development of future funding arrangements are outlined. The need for the government to explore insurance options for municipalities, small-scale emerging farmers and so on is stressed.
Both the centre and the financial arrangements require legislation to be drafted, and the White Paper outlines what legislation will be brought before Parliament to this end.
In future, with new legislation in place, not only will immediate financial assistance reach people more quickly; not only will NGOs be able to play their full role in the knowledge that the government will cover certain expenses; not only will different role-players know who is responsible for what and where information can be obtained; but the communities of places like Mount Ayliff and Tabankulu will know that a full analysis of what took place will be carried out; steps will be taken against any who are liable; and preventive measures will be introduced in the future development plans.
Janet Love is an MP and chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee on agriculture, water and forestry