The DA in Limpopo calls upon the Mopani and Vhembe District municipalities to be on high alert to assist residents when cyclone Freddy is set to reach our province over the coming weekend.
The South African Weather Service expects that the cyclone will affect the north-eastern parts of South Africa until Monday ,27 February 2023 and especially the Lowveld and escarpment of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Very heavy rainfall of between 200mm and 400mm, may result in widespread flooding in the Mopani and Vhembe districts.
We expect the district municipalities, responsible for disaster management, to have emergency supplies like bottled water, blankets, hygiene items, and dry food stock ready to be distributed to residents who will be affected by floods.
Low-lying areas need to be monitored, and the call to evacuate must be timely to avoid loss of life and essential belongings. The location of evacuation centres must be well communicated beforehand.
The commercial agriculture sector in the province consistently contributes towards the country’s food security and job creation and is particularly vulnerable when floods occur.
The DA is therefore concerned that the Department of Agriculture was only able to spend 15% of its allocated disaster funds during the 2022 financial year.
We will submit questions to the Legislature for a written response on the reasons for this underspend as well as extensive questions on disaster funding allocations and the level of preparedness by all the district municipalities.
The DA urges residents in Mopani and Vhembe to prepare for the cyclone and to stay safe by staying indoors where possible, staying off the roads, and avoiding crossing low-lying bridges.
