Municipality calls for nominations for forum

The Municipality’s Emergency Control and Disaster Management Unit is calling on all interested parties to nominate individuals to serve in the Municipality’s Disaster Management Advisory Forum (MDMAF).

The MDMAF is a collaboration between a range of stakeholders from key sectors – government, business, academia, labour and civil society. Its main objective is to enhance the city’s efforts to reduce risk where possible; assist people to better understand the roles that they could play in reducing the impact of disasters; to assist in the development of clear actions to address all aspects of disasters risk reduction.

The Disaster Management Act (Act 57 of 2002) assigns discretion as to whether a Metropolitan Council or District Council constitutes formal structures such as a Municipal Disaster Management Advisory Forum for the purposes of external stake-holder participation.

Consequently, the eThekwini Municipality has elected to establish the necessary institutional arrangements to give effect to the principles of co-operative governance, integrated and co-ordinated disaster risk management and stakeholder participation at local level.

In addition to evolving internal arrangements to allow for inter-departmental co-operation within the municipal sphere, it is intended that the MDMAF will be an ideal mechanism to deal with disaster risk management planning and co-ordination.

The role of the MDMAF is:

1. Give advice and make recommendations on disaster related issues and disaster risk management matters;

2. Contribute to disaster risk management planning and co-ordination;

3. Establish joint standards of practice;

4. Make recommendations on response management systems;

5. Gather critical information about the municipality’s capacity to assist in disasters and to access resources;

6. Advise/assist with public awareness, training and capacity building.

Nominations to the Forum are sought for individuals in all sectors – industry, traditional groups, rural groups, women, disabled, youth, faith based organisations, NGOs, CBOs, academia, parastatals and government. The full name, contact detail, current position and motivation of suitability for a potential nominee should be emailed to wilfred.mkhwazi@durban.gov.za, faxed to 086 751 8484, or submitted in writing to P.O. Box 3965, Durban 4000. Self-nominations are welcome.

The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 12 December 2013, at 4pm.