President Thabo Mbeki has declared parts of six drought-stricken provinces in the country disaster areas, the Department of Provincial and Local Government said on Friday.
The declaration was done in terms of Section 26 of the Fund-Raising Act, 1978.
Presidential spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said in a statement that the disaster areas are in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, the North West, the Free State and the Northern Cape.
Taung in the Northern Cape has also been declared a disaster area due to the severe thunderstorms that hit the area recently.
Limpopo was declared a disaster area earlier already.
The proclamation allows the government to make more funds available for disaster relief.
”Government last year in October allocated R250-million for drought relief and various government departments have been active in dealing with the effects of these disasters ever since the first signs appeared,” the statement read.
An inter-ministerial committee on disaster management met on Thursday to receive and study a report on the affected areas. The committee consists of the ministers of water affairs and forestry, provincial and local government, housing, social development, health, agriculture and land affairs, and finance.
The meeting finalised proposals on the financial implications the drought will have for the South African government. The proposals will be put to Cabinet next week Wednesday for a decision. — Sapa