Day: April 28, 2022

Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, says more than 630 schools were affected by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal with 101 of them being inaccessible and 124 suffering extensive damage.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga together with KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education Kwazi Mshengu accompanied by senior officials visited the affected schools in the various districts.

Addressing the media in Pretoria on behalf of the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Cluster, Phaahla said the basic education sector has been severely affected.

“We can confirm that 64 learners have been reported to be deceased while five are still missing. One educator and one food handler have also passed away,” Phaahla said at Thursday’s briefing.

Schooling is proceeding elsewhere in the province but that in the affected areas, attendance is uneven.

“Attendance is uneven but we remain hopeful that with all the support there will be a gradual increase to learners and teachers returning to school.We will also monitor on how youth and youth with disabilities will return to school and how this will impact on their education.

“It is in times like this that we need to collaborate, unite and focus on solutions that will provide relief to all those in need. We appreciate all the offers of assistance from partners in the private and public sectors.

“We extend our appreciation to our social partners who have initiated various interventions to assist in helping all those in distress. It will be a long road but together we can so much more to minimise the impact of the devastating floods,” Phaahla said.

Earlier this month, Cabinet declared a National State of Disaster in response to floods, which have wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape.

At a briefing on Sunday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala, said the construction of temporary residential units has started at Ilembe District, Ugu and eThekwini.

The Premier reported that, as of Sunday, 17 438 households have been affected by the disaster while 121 687 people were affected, and 435 people lost their lives.

 

 

Source: South African Government News Agency

Government, working in collaboration with other stakeholders,  is executing its role in the provision of humanitarian relief in KwaZulu-Natal.

To date, there are 98 shelters where over 8 400 people are housed in community halls, religious facilities, and other temporary structures.

This comes after Cabinet declared a National State of Disaster in response to floods, which have wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape.

Speaking during the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Cluster media briefing on Thursday, Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, said that the majority of the people housed in shelters are women to the total of 4700, children under ten years totalling 1700, older persons to the total of 1000 with 217 people with disabilities.

“Working with the province and local municipalities, where shelters are identified, Department of Social Development (DSD) teams have been providing cooked meals, blankets and dignity packs working with NPOs, Churches, Corporates and Committee Members to displaced individuals,” he said.

Community Nutrition and Development Centres (CNDCs) have also been providing this support on a daily basis with specific focus on children who have been displaced from schools and those who have lost family members or belongings.

“A comprehensive assessment of each community, household and individuals were conducted and all affected were provided with much needed counselling, de-briefing, water, food, matresses, blankets and some families were re-integrated.

“Those that lost their loved ones were also provided funeral arrangements and continuous counselling. All individuals and families that were affected were reached for these services,” he explained.

Meanwhile, social workers have reached over 15 983 individuals in this regard, and these services are ongoing.

A total of 2 713 people have been affected in Eastern Cape in the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts.

The minister said that assistance in the form of social relief of distress is being provided to the affected families.

Women, Youth and Persons With Disabilities

Minister Phaahla said that Women, youth and persons with disabilities as particularly vulnerable groups will be most impacted by shortages, in their homes and in their businesses.

He said that the Department Women, youth and persons with disabilities is facilitating the rollout of Women’s Economic Assembly (WECONA) to provinces.

“KZN is a priority. WECONA Executive is developing a programme of action in an effort to enlist assistance to women and children who are victims of the floods,” he said.

He said that a donation of shipping containers has been secured from Transnet and they will work with the Solidarity Fund and National Empowerment Fund on how best to allocate them to cater to women and children in need of shelter services.

He said that issues of school infrastructure also come to the fore with respect to water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

“This situation is exacerbated by the floods in terms of access to water, sanitation and pads.

“We are also going to contribute sanitary pads to KZN to assist flood victims. Plans are advanced in terms of ensuring that the donation reaches displaced and deserving women and girls affected by the floods, working closely with the department of social development to ensure effective distribution in this regard.”

He said that a distribution mechanism will be put in place to ensure women in need get access to these personal hygiene products.

“As the department, through the Office of the Premier in KZN, we will be monitoring accessibility of services to women who have been displaced, and facilitate interventions where there are needs identified.

“We will also monitor the safety of women and girls at shelters for displaced persons to ensure incidents of GBVF are prevented,” he said.

Health

A total of 66 health facilities were affected by the heavy downpours resulting in mainly roof leaks and flooding.

The breakdown of affected facilities per district is as follows: eThekwini 24, Ugu 15, uMgungundlovu, 9, iLembe 8 and King Cetshwayo 2.

“There has been minimal disruption to health care services in the most affected districts. The cost estimate for the repairs is in the region of R185 million. These assessments are subject to revisions,” Minister Phaahla said.

Healthcare services continue to be rendered to displaced communities that are currently sheltered in community halls including ensuring the dispensing of chronic medication.

Water has been partially restored in some facilities but others are still supplied through water tankers.

“Water supply has been restored in Gamalakhe CHC, St Andrews CHC, Ekuhlengeni CHC and 10% in GJ Crookes Hospital.

“Water is still being supplied to the following facilities with reservoirs: Wentworth Hospital, Prince Mhiyeni Memorial Hospital, Osindisweni Hospital and Park Rynie.”

He said that there is a challenge at Prince Mshiyeni where the reservoirs cannot be filled due to incompatible coupling between tanker and reservoir. The challenges are currently being addressed.

He said that the Ugu District is not exempt from load shedding, which is affecting water supply.

The Minister announced that 363 post-mortems have been conducted to date.

“An additional seven sessional pathologists were brought in to expedite the post-mortems. All deaths because of the heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding are determined to be unnatural. As such, in terms of the law, there is a legal obligation as government to conduct these post-mortems,” he said.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, together with the National Department of Health, continue to monitor the situation and are addressing the challenges accordingly.

Minister Phaahla who led the briefing, was accompanied by Ministers of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga and Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu who have visited the areas affected by floods in the past few days.

 

 

Source: South African Government News Agency

In the midst of the disaster left by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, SASSA has provided Social Relief Distress (SRD) to more than 3 000 affected individuals, to the tune of almost R5 million.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has also purchased uniforms for learners to the value of R372 000, targeting flood victims in eThekwini and iLembe Districts.

This was announced by the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Cluster at a briefing on Thursday, led by Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, accompanied by the Ministers of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga and Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu.

The National Department of Social development (DSD) and its provincial offices have been engaging with corporates and stakeholders to provide support in the form of urgent humanitarian relief for affected areas. The department has two dedicated storage facilities in Pietermaritzburg and Dube Trade Port in Durban.

Speaking at the briefing, Phaahla said many organisations, churches and community members have answered the call and provided support in a variety of forms, including cash, food, clothes, sanitary towels – to mention a few.

“Government also received donations and pledges from various countries through their embassies, which is welcomed with much appreciation,” he said.

Zulu has visited Ndwedwe (Ward 15 and 17) and Mandeni Local Municipalities in iLembe District to engage with communities, and provide SRD and support.

Similarly, Social Development Deputy Minister, Henrietta Bogopane-Zulu, visited KwaNkosi Ngcobo and eMaqadini.

In the Western Cape, SASSA continues to provide support to the more than 765 people affected by the fire in Langa, as well as the 30 people affected in Gugulethu.

Phaahla said support, in the form of hot meals, blankets, mattresses and dignity packs, has been provided.

R350 grant

While the focus of the briefing was meant to be about government’s response to the disaster, Phaahla said they thought it important to include some input on the much-anticipated COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant of R350.

He said having reviewed some of the media comments over weekend, they felt it important to add it to this briefing to clarify and address some of the concerns that have been expressed.

During his State of the Nation Address, the President announced that the R350 Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant will be extended for the period of a year, to March 2023.

Phaahla said the Social Department anticipated the end to the National State of Disaster and embarked on developing the regulatory framework for the payment of the COVID-19 SRD, within the legal provisions of the Social Assistance legislative framework.

“In February this year, the department published the regulations for public comments. We know that we reduced this period for public comments a bit to accommodate the shortened time period we had. We wish to thank all the contributors and participants for their fruitful inputs and helpful comments, which went a long way to enhance the regulations,” he said.

Unfortunately, he said the process for developing regulations took longer than expected, but the department has now finally come to the end of this process and proclaimed the regulations on 22 April 2022.

With the application portal on the SASSA website having opened on 23 April 2022, Phaahla said government encourages everyone who needs the grant to apply within the remaining few days of the month.

“We are a bit concerned that just under seven million applications have been received, as we were hoping to receive at least 12 million applications by the end of the month.

“Our systems have been coping very well with the applications thus far, as we’ve been receiving about one million applications per day, which is about double the volumes we’ve seen in the previous iterations,” he said.

Prospective applicants can apply using the SASSA website at https://srd.sassa.gov.za. This include people who were receiving the grant previously.

“Firstly, many people want to know whether or not they should reapply for the COVID SRD. Given that this form of COVID SRD will now be provided for within a new legislative framework, and that additional qualifying and assessment criteria have been added, those in need of assistance will need to apply for the grant, or reapply if they were already receiving the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress provided for under the disaster management framework,” Phaahla said.

Government will be retaining its digital platforms for the application process in order to enable millions of people to apply in a relatively short space of time.

All applicants are reminded that they will be considered for the grant from the month in which the application is lodged, meaning that all applications lodged in April will be considered as from April.

“I am appealing to all South Africans in need of the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress to embrace this opportunity and apply.

“There are still three days left to the end of the month. Our application channels are available 24 hours a day and can handle very high volumes,” the Minister said.

SASSA’s call centre will be opened to assist and process enquiries. It can be reached on 0800 60 10 11.

Source: South African Government News Agency