South Africa declares national state of disaster over floods

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive response to widespread flooding that has affected seven of the country's nine provinces. Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape were the most affected by floods caused by heavy rainfall as a result of the La Nina weather phenomenon, according to a statement from the Office of the President on Monday.

Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape and North West also experienced flooding. Invoking the National Disaster Act gives the government additional powers, including the procurement and supply of goods and services and the ability to circumvent restrictions under current laws. The national police and defense forces may be called in to help respond to flooding, the statement said. The flood has a far-reaching impact, from inundated homes and vehicles to the "loss of essential infrastructure," according to the statement.

Farmers expect crop and livestock losses to continue as the government's weather service predicts the weather will remain "into early 2023," it said. Ramaphosa last week declared a national state of disaster over South Africa's energy crisis as daily rolling blackouts paralyze businesses. The National Disaster Act was also used in March 2020 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and last April in response to flooding in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.