Cogta Minister Hlabisa urges municipalities to use disaster funds responsibly
He was speaking during an event to announce the allocation of disaster grants in Sandton on Monday, where he provided details of the funds released to municipalities and provinces for disaster interventions following the various weather-related events that occurred in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and the severely affected Eastern Cape.
In June, a total of 107 lives were lost due to disasters. Out of these, 103 were in the Eastern Cape, 3 in KwaZulu-Natal, and 1 in the Western Cape.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
43 minutes ago
- Eyewitness News
Weekend storm cuts power, destroys homes, displaces 4,000 Capetonians
Weekend rainfall and heavy winds have left parts of Cape Town flooded, creating dangerous conditions for residents and animals. Several communities were overwhelmed when floodwaters surged through informal settlements and residential areas across the metro. Lategan explains that localised flooding in low-lying areas such as Mfuleni, Gugulethu, Sir Lowry's Pass, and Khayelitsha was reported. The situation worsened when the Vygieskraal canal burst its banks, flooding several roads in the Athlone and Belgravia areas. Among the worst affected was the Vygieskraal informal settlement in Athlone together with the Haji Ebrahim Crescent and RDP houses nearby. About 850 structures were damaged, affecting and displacing almost 4,000 people. The storm also cut off power in many areas, which the City is busy working to restore. Roads in Athlone were closed over the weekend but have since been opened while mop-up operations are in full effect.
Daily Maverick
6 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Sewage spill in Gqeberha forces beach closure ahead of Boks-Italy clash
A major sewage spill has forced the closure of Kings Beach in Gqeberha just days before the Springboks' Test match against Italy, with municipal teams scrambling to trace the source and contain the damage. Just as Gqeberha prepares to host the Springboks and a wave of rugby fans, one of its landmark beaches has been shut down due to a major sewage spill. Kings Beach – in the heart of the city's beachfront tourism hub – is closed, and municipal teams have been out in force since last week to determine the source of a sewage leak that has contaminated a freshwater stream running through the dunes. Officials have also reported more spills at the railway lines between Humerail and the harbour, as well as higher up along Allister Miller Drive, next to the Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport. Ward 2 councillor Sean Tappan said the initial leak near the airport was first detected early last week when he, with Ward 1 councillor Dries van der Westhuizen, visited Kings Beach. This led to the municipality closing the beach at the weekend after contractors began their investigation into the origin of the spill. 'The municipal teams are actively tracing the source by inspecting all manhole blockages in the area. This will assist them in determining the best route forward to contain and resolve the issue,' Tappan said on Monday. Battling terrain to trace leaks Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya confirmed that teams had been on the ground with specialised equipment to trace leaks and clean affected areas since last week. 'This task was made difficult by the presence of swampy terrain, overgrown vegetation and dense trees,' Soyaya said. 'Despite these challenges, progress is being made, and specialised equipment is being deployed to the sites [Monday] and [Tuesday] to speed up the work.' He said contractors began clearing some of the dense vegetation to gain access to manhole covers. This will give them access to drains for more thorough inspections and create the possibility of 'bypass pumping operations' that would allow them to avoid the sections of pipe causing the problem. Honey sucker trucks have been deployed to pump out contaminated water at some of the bigger spills, giving teams easier access to manholes and drains. 'Our teams continue to treat the affected areas to reduce E. coli levels and neutralise unpleasant odours,' Soyaya said. This is the latest in a series of pollution woes that have plagued the Nelson Mandela Bay coastline in recent months. Summerstrand residents often report foul odour coming from stormwater drains along the beachfront due to undetermined contamination, while further down the coast, Brighton Beach has been closed for several months due to leaks emitting from the nearby Fishwater Flats wastewater treatment works. However, Soyaya said the current situation at Kings Beach differs from Brighton Beach, as the cause of the pollution at the latter has already been determined. 'Our first priority now, with regard to Kings Beach, is to find the source of the leak before [we] can fix the problem.' Environmental and health risks mounting Chairperson of the Algoa Bay branch of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa), Dr Gary Koekemoer, said the spill would have a limited impact inland and along its route to the sea. 'However, where it reaches the ocean is of major concern. 'From where it originates and along its way to the beach, that area is actually quite dead in terms of the natural ecosystem and indigenous plant life. But ocean life and seaside activities are in danger if this toxic waste keeps seeping into the water.' Koekemoer said there had been reports since last week of open water swimmers, who frequent Kings Beach and surrounds, falling ill. He said this could have an economic impact if it began to affect sporting and tourism activities. 'Bottom line, a sewage spill is never a good thing and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible,' Koekemoer said. Unfortunate timing Soyaya said while the municipality was always committed to resolving such issues as a matter of urgency, the timing of the spill was not ideal with the international rugby Test match between the Springboks and Italy scheduled for this weekend at the NMB Stadium. Tappan said the spill should have a limited impact on tourism, and none of the players was expected to specifically visit Kings Beach this week.' However, the Springbok team was at the Virgin Active gym near the beachfront [on Monday], and the smell from the spill across the road was unfortunate. 'It would be best for everyone if these leaks could be resolved as soon as possible,' Tappan said. DM
Daily Maverick
6 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Weather Watch — heavy rains forecast for SA's flood-prone eastern coastal areas in spring
The remainder of the winter and the upcoming spring are expected to be mild. This is a reflection of the global warming trend linked to fossil-fuel use that is literally burning our fragile planet. The South African Weather Service (Saws) still sees a wetter-than-normal spring for flood-prone coastal areas of the country, while the seasonal rains in the southwest are expected to fade as winter wanes. That is the upshot of Saws' latest monthly Seasonal Climate Watch, which looks five months ahead – in this case from July to November. 'During late winter and early spring, the southwestern parts of the country are still expected to receive below-normal rainfall. The eastern coastal areas, however, are expected to receive above-normal rainfall during early and mid-spring,' the report said. And while cold fronts have brought a chill to swathes of South Africa of late, overall the rest of the winter and the spring season are expected to be on the warm side. 'Minimum and maximum temperatures are largely expected to be above-normal for the most part during the late winter and spring seasons,' Saws said. What this means for you If you live in the eastern coastal region, beware that floods could be on the cards. Overall, the rest of the winter should be mild and spring is expected to blossom with almost summer-like temperatures. That will be welcomed by many since South Africans don't like the cold as a rule. But it is a reflection of the global warming trend linked to fossil-fuel use that is literally burning our fragile planet. For the southwestern parts of South Africa it is concerning that the rest of the winter is seen drier than usual during that region's annual wet season. This will have implications for water security and dam levels, and on the farming front may reduce yields for the winter wheat crop. It is also a red flag for the wildfires that can scorch the region. Heavier-than-normal spring rains in the eastern coastal areas are also a potential worry given the recent history of flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. But it could bring relief to areas in that region that are still experiencing drought, though that will be offset by warmer-than-normal temperatures. 'The anticipated above-normal rainfall during the early- and mid-spring seasons is unlikely to benefit water reservoirs in the eastern coastal areas (where several settlements are still experiencing moderate drought conditions) due to, among others, the expected above-normal minimum and maximum temperatures, which can result in water losses through the evapotranspiration processes,' the Weather Service said. 'Furthermore, the expected mostly above-normal minimum and maximum temperatures across the country are likely to result in increased demand for cooling during the spring season.' Meanwhile, the global weather pattern known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains firmly in its neutral phase in between El Niño, which usually brings drought to southern Africa, and the La Niña system, which typically heralds good rains in this region. Global forecasters such as the US Climate Prediction Centre currently see a less than 50% chance of La Niña forming by the end of 2025, but at least there is scant prospect of El Niño returning during the upcoming summer months. DM
