Lack of staff, funds hobbles disaster response

The Eastern Cape disaster management centre was hamstrung during the twin Covid-19 and drought crises by severe understaffing and a lack of funds.

Premier Oscar Mabuyane has admitted as much in response to DA MPL Kobus Botha’s written set of questions in the Bhisho legislature.

Botha wanted to know what equipment the centre still lacked, its cost, and details on the staff shortages.

In addition to a R2.5m disaster management vehicle and R500,000 for personal protective equipment, Mabuyane said the centre required:

● A scientific disaster risk assessment for the province, at a cost of R500,000;

● A R10m contingency fund for disaster response, aerial and ground support;

● R20m for the “provision” of the contingency fund;

● R2.6m for construction of a disaster relief material storage facility;

● R40m [R20m apiece] for the establishment of the Joe Gqabi and Sarah Baartman municipalities’ integrated disaster and fire centres;

● R15m for supply and delivery of a firefighting water tanker apiece in six regions;

● R500,000 for annual licensing fees for the disaster management; and

● R4.8m for a radio mast antenna and booster.

Apart from the above, the centre also requires 16 vacancies to be filled.

These are eight call-centre agents, two geographic information systems specialists, two control room supervisors and four data capturers/analysts.

“[The] cost to realise full functionality is R111m,” Mabuyane said in the response, adding this amount was needed for the 2021/2022 financial year.

He said the amount was informed by needs on an annual basis and so that amount could change.

Botha said the provincial disaster management centre had been “greatly inadequate”.

“It does not even have the budget to cover the R500,000 for the annual licensing fees for the disaster management integrated information systems.”

He said this raised questions about the province’s capacity to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the drought and wildfires, such as the ones that occurred in Knysna in 2017.

African Farmers Association of SA provincial co-ordinator Mhlobo Mbane said there was always a shortfall in the provincial disaster management centre when a crisis loomed.

“It’s quite disappointing they are underfunded even though they have a great responsibility in alleviating the drought. If you look around farming communities, the drought is not gone.

“It means that we are not being taken seriously,” Mbane said. “We are appealing to government to find a solution [to the lack of funding].”