During an urgent meeting on Wednesday, January 21, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government Executive Council estimated that repairing and restoring infrastructure damaged by recent heavy rainfall would exceed R3.5b.

This represents an additional R1.5b on top of the R2b announced late last week, when Premier Mandla Ndlovu and Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosi Hlabisa visited Msholozi.

The council, led by Ndlovu, emphasised the need to strengthen disaster management teams to provide immediate support, including evacuations, temporary shelter, and humanitarian relief to affected families during disasters.

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Ndlovu indicated the need for the province to review its Climate Change Strategy and ensure implementation to improve on both preventative and reactive measures, and to further strengthen the co-ordination of government and stakeholder actions during disasters.

The council urged implementing agents and service providers to exercise the highest level of accountability and ensure value for money in all interventions supporting the government’s efforts to rebuild infrastructure.

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In the meeting, a report on the state of disaster in Mpumalanga was outlined.

Mpumalanga has recorded a total of 20 fatalities, comprising 18 drownings, one lightning-related death, and one fatality resulting from a structural wall collapse. All of the bodies have been recovered. Ehlanzeni District Municipality experienced the greatest impact with a total of 1 808 houses affected by the disaster.