The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has called for the urgent strengthening and modernisation of disaster management systems, warning that municipalities are buckling under the growing impact of climate-related disasters.
Salga made this call amid recent wildfires in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, which destroyed property, biodiversity and livelihoods, as well as severe flooding in parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
The floods have claimed many lives and caused widespread damage. More than 30 deaths have been recorded by January 17, with more than 1,300 houses and roads and public infrastructure damaged by flooding in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
“From the recent wildfires in the Eastern Cape that destroyed property, biodiversity and livelihoods to severe flooding in parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal that has disrupted services and displaced families, municipalities, as South Africa’s first responders, end up carrying the frontline burden to respond to these disasters under severe resource constraints,” said Salga on Sunday.
The association called for accelerated national action to modernise the disaster management framework and strengthen support to municipalities to mitigate the escalating impact of disasters on communities.
The chairperson of Salga’s emergency services and disaster management working group, Mluleki Nkosi, said the recent events exposed deep-seated weaknesses in the current system.
“These events highlight the rapidly increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters and expose the limitations of the current disaster management system.”
These events highlight the rapidly increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters and expose the limitations of the current disaster management system.
— Mluleki Nkosi, Salga’s emergency services and disaster management working group chair
He noted that despite the cabinet’s 2022 directive for an urgent review of the disaster management system, progress has been slow.
“As a result, municipalities remain under siege from floods, storms, droughts and fires, relying on systems that are outdated and inadequate for current risks.”
Nkosi added that while existing legislation places responsibility for stakeholder co-ordination and contingency planning on municipalities, many lack the capacity and resources to respond effectively.
Despite these challenges, Salga urged municipalities to activate joint operating committees, issue timely communication to communities when South African Weather Service warnings are received, and conduct rapid damage and loss assessments to ensure accurate reporting to provincial disaster management centres.
Nkosi said additional priorities included upgrading infrastructure, improving risk mapping, strengthening collaboration across spheres of government and expanding community education programmes.
Salga reaffirmed its commitment to supporting municipalities, particularly at a technical level, but stressed that urgent national intervention remains critical.
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