State of disaster declared in Gauteng months after floods hit Joburg

A state of disaster has been declared in Gauteng by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

State of disaster declared

The department announced the provincial state of disaster in a gazette on Wednesday. It said it is in effect from 23 January.

The state of disaster comes after floods destroyed parts of Johannesburg in December.

It will remain in place until the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre no longer regards the impact of the floods as a disaster.

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“After having deliberated with various organs of state and the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, and after assessing the magnitude and severity of the impact of the flooding incidents… and after having considered the information and recommendations received from the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, I hereby give notice that on 23 January 2023, I classified this occurrence as a provincial disaster,” said the head of the national disaster management centre, Elias Sithole.

“I hereby, in terms of Section 15(2)(A) of the Act, read with Section 23(8), call upon organs of state to further strengthen support to existing structures to implement contingency arrangements and ensure that measures are put in place to enable the Gauteng province to effectively deal with the effects of this disaster,” said Sithole.

Floods hit Joburg

On December 8, heavy rainfall in Johannesburg led to severe flooding in the city.

The floods saw cars being swept off the roads. Roads and other infrastructure also suffered heavy damage.

Houses were also submerged in water, with some walls being knocked down.

At the time, Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said Soweto and Lenasia were the worst affected areas.

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ALSO READ: How floods hurt Joburg: Cars swept away and homes submerged

State of disaster schedule

According to Cogta, the state of disaster had the following schedule:

• The provincial executive dealt with the provincial disaster in terms of existing legislation and contingency arrangements without declaring a provincial state of disaster in terms of Section 41(1).
• The classification is revoked by the Head: National Disaster Management Centre when the occurrence can no longer be regarded as a disaster in terms of the Act upon reassessment by the NDMC.
• The provincial executive dealt with the provincial disaster in terms of existing legislation and contingency arrangements as augmented by regulations and/ or directions following the declaration of a provincial state of a disaster in terms of Section 41(2).
• The classification of a provincial disaster is automatically revoked when the provincial state of disaster is terminated or lapses in terms of Section 41(5) of the Act.

All affected organs of state must prepare and submit reports, said Sithole.

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