Disaster task team set up

2003-09-10 23:04

Johannesburg - The Gauteng government on Wednesday set up a national task team on disaster management following a spate of fires and drought in some provinces.

This comes after Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi met with other ministers on Monday in an attempt to find ways for combating fires and drought which have devastated certain parts of the Free State, Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and the North West.

Spokesman George Killian said the task team will present a strategy to Cabinet on September 17.

The task team is comprised of the departments of Water Affairs and Forestry, Social Development, Public Works, the Treasury, the South African Police Services, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the South African Weather Services.

R11m has been donated, along with water tankers, helicopters, firefighters and fire-engines.

The government's objective is to provide assistance and put in place preventive measures in a co-ordinated and integrated manner that will alleviate suffering on the affected or likely to be affected communities, said Killian.

- SAPA