Durban – In the wake of the damaging and deadly floods in the province, the newly elected ANC eThekwini region’s leadership has resolved to create “Disaster Nerve Centres” across the region, aimed at coordinating all disaster-related relief and aid through these centres.
The centres are to be established in each of the ANC eThekwini’s 17 zones and are expected to be in full operation by Monday with some zones already operating, according to Musa Nciki, eThekwini ANC regional secretary.
Nciki said that they had discussed the formation of these nerve centres as the ANC and the party’s caucus, because “the ANC should be close to the people and create the nerve centres to assist the people”.
The creation of these centres comes days after the national government’s pledge of over R1 billion, coupled with the Motsepe Foundation’s R30 million donation towards disaster relief in KwaZulu-Natal.
The death toll caused by the floods and severe weather in KwaZulu-Natal continues to rise, with the latest figure standing at 398. About 355 deaths occurred just in eThekwini.
“For better management each zone will have a nerve centre. These centres will work with the community and they will be able to determine where the situation is under control, and where it is dire.
“We are saying that whoever comes with help, it is better for them to contact the nerve centre to direct them straight to the severely affected areas, and the victims worst hit,” Nciki said.
In a communication sent to members of the party in the region by the ANC eThekwini region’s executive committee (REC) members, Zama Sokhabase and Sphiwe Blose said the “Disaster Nerve Centre” idea had been discussed in a meeting with the REC and senior officials of the metro.
Blose and Sokhabase said that the meeting had resolved that that each zone, including the Victoria Mxenge zone, establish a “Disaster Nerve Centre” with the structure consisting of a zonal chairperson and secretary, branch chairpersons and secretaries, all zonal ward councillors, all zonal PR councillors, a constituency office administrator, one official from the municipality and an REC deployee.
“The leadership of branches and all councillors are expected to comply with this directive and all communications and reports, whether it is from wards or the branches or from the metro will be via this nerve centre,” the letter said.
They added that any service delivery including food, blankets, soup kitchen, water or related to the disaster would go via the nerve centre and that there would be no minister, MEC or metro official who will go to the branches or wards without political guidance from the nerve centre.
“The nerve centre will be activated from tomorrow until we get a directive from the regional office, and the zonal secretary and an administrator will be communicating with officers at the nerve centre.
“REC deployees will lead this nerve centre, and ward reports must be submitted daily to the nerve centre, and the zonal secretary must submit (reports) to the regional secretary’s office,” the letter said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE