Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape have been most affected by the
floods, which were brought on by heavy rainfall as a result of
the La Nina weather phenomenon, according to a statement from
the office of the presidency on Monday.
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North
West have also experienced flooding.Invoking the national
disaster act gives the government additional powers, including
in the procurement and delivery of goods and services and the
ability to bypass restrictions under current law.
The national police and defence force may be called on to help
respond to the flooding, the statement said. The floods have
resulted in wide-ranging impact, from flooded homes and vehicles
to "the loss of basic infrastructure," according to the
statement.
Farmers expect crop and livestock losses to continue as the
government's weather service forecasts that the weather pattern
will remain "during the early part of 2023," it said.
Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster last week over
South Africa's power crisis, as daily rolling power cuts are
paralyzing businesses.
The national disaster act was also invoked in March 2020 to deal
with the coronavirus pandemic, and last April to respond to
floods in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.
(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
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