Gauteng gets to work on state-of-the-art disaster management centre
Elias Sithole, head of the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, is aiming high
Drones‚ a 24-hour call centre and an early warning system are some of the technologies that the people of Gauteng should expect in a new provincial disaster management centre. Several disasters over the past few years have raised questions about the province’s ability to respond to calamity. In 2016 a tornado hit the City of Ekurhuleni‚ leaving a trail of damage. In December last year heavy rainfall caused destruction in several areas of Johannesburg‚ including Lenasia‚ Tshepisong‚ Thembelihle‚ Alexandra‚ Protea Glen Extensions‚ Roodepoort‚ Kagiso and Braamfischerville. The Disaster Management Act of 2002 compels Gauteng and other provincial governments to have disaster management centres. Currently there is no physical disaster management centre in the province but one is being established in Midrand. Staff working in the disaster management department‚ which is housed in the Gauteng department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta)‚ use offices in the Johannesb...
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