House Chair, on 17 October this year President Cyril Ramaphosa urged Southern African Development community, SADC, member states to implement comprehensive multi-year response plans to tackle the recurrent droughts and food insecurity. This was during the SADC Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.
While this sentiment is welcomed, I need to ask the President: Where is South Africa's drought plan?
Last year on 13 February 2018 our country was classified as a national drought disaster. This reclassification of drought as a national disaster designated the primary responsibility for the co-ordination and management of the disaster to the national executive who must act in close co- operation with the other spheres of government to deal with the disaster and its consequences.
Minister Mkhize at that time said that three provinces including Western Cape, some parts of the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape are extremely affected and are not yet showing any signs of improvement. That was 18 months ago
Afrikaans:
Die situasie het intussen vererger en steeds is die ANC regering missing in action. [versuim om hulp te verleen.] Of nee, die Adjunkpresident het oor die Noord-Kaap gevlieg en ges dat die droogte baie erg is en kort onmiddelike reaksie; maar geen aksie. Droogtes is 'n normale relmatige verskynsel van ons klimaat. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ons weet almal dat Suid- Afrika 'n dro land is en dat klimaatsverandering ons negatief benvloed.
Klimaatsverandering kan seker nie as 'n ramp gesien word nie maar die uitwerking hiervan - ondergemiddelde renval oor langer as ses jaar, sowel as gepaardgaande rekordho temperature ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... is 'n huidige werklikheid en het ons ...
English: