Proactive planning and climate-resilient infrastructure are key to protecting South African communities from floods and other disasters, Simelane said.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane on Sunday highlighted the pressing requirement for a nationwide strategy to counter climate-driven disasters.
She said this during her address at the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality council chambers, while she was visiting flood-affected regions in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Urgent push for comprehensive disaster mitigation
Simelane’s visit followed extended heavy rains, pointing to delays in emergency housing programs caused by scarce suitable land and inadequate preparation.
The minister criticised how relief operations for human settlements often stall due to these issues.
“The initiative should not be limited to Mpumalanga but must extend nationwide to safeguard communities and strengthen resilience,” she emphasised.
Simelane called on municipalities to synchronise disaster responses with national development goals, advocating forward-thinking measures to address natural disasters.
“We need to start planning collaboratively, plan for our growth, say where we are going and what happens during disasters,” she stated.
ALSO READ: Floods devastate Limpopo and Mpumalanga as rescue efforts continue
Aligning planning with weather forecasts and growth
Simelane stressed the need to prepare land based on meteorological data to build resilience.
“We must be proactive and prepare land accordingly with weather reports and projections,” she urged.
She further insisted that local governments focus on climate-adaptive infrastructure while including communities in relief initiatives.
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Speed Mashilo, echoed these sentiments.
He reinforced the need for joint efforts across government levels.
“When the president was here last week, he also pointed out the issue of lack of planning when it comes to human settlements,” Mashilo noted.
Furthermore, he warned against acting surprised by predictable events, given accurate rainfall predictions.
“We cannot continue to behave like we don’t know or anticipate the types of disasters, especially with our weather forecasters being able to predict the amount of rain expected to fall in the rainy seasons,” he added.
ALSO READ: SA Weather warns of more disruptive rain for Limpopo, leading to flooding
Collaborative protection for vulnerable communities
Both Simelane and Mashilo underscored unity among national, provincial, and local spheres of government, alongside residents, to shield especially at-risk groups from disaster hardships and delayed aid stemming from unusable land.
They committed to reviewing additional provincial human settlements grants to fund repairs for roads, sewers, and stormwater systems damaged by floods.
Simelane and Mashilo agreed this approach would reduce future flood impacts through better infrastructure.
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