DURBAN - Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo says work is underway to “cautiously withdraw” the National State of Disaster in line with the risk-adjusted strategy.
Dlodlo said this when Ministers in the Governance, State Capacity, and Institutional Development (GSCID) cluster briefed the media to outline progress made in areas that the president mentioned in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.
“Work is afoot to cautiously withdraw the National State of Disaster in line with our risk adjusted strategy.”
Dlodlo warned that citizens cannot let their guard down yet because the Department of Health needed to improve the country’s vaccination uptake to attain population immunity and continue to observe none-pharmaceutical health protocols.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said during his recent the State of the Nation Address that the country was now in the phase of reconstruction and recovery following the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Disaster Management Act has been an essential instrument towards our successful management of the novel Covid-19 pandemic.”
“The declaration of the national state of disaster allowed the country to coordinate an integrated response plan to protect lives and mitigate the socio-economic impact of the virus.”
Dlodlo said the government plans to accelerate infrastructure investment and service delivery.
Dlodlo said the government’s District Development Model (DDM) is an approach that includes all of the government and society that gives practical meaning to the principles of cooperative governance by enabling integrated and responsive planning, implementation, and budgeting.
Dlodlo said 49 ‘One Plans’ had been finalised, and three are at an advanced stage of conclusion.
These ‘One Plans’, Dlodlo explained, are currently undergoing a rigorous process of quality assurance by a multidisciplinary team of officials to ensure that the programmes highlighted will accelerate infrastructure investment and service delivery throughout the country.
“We have made notable progress in firstly understanding the unique characteristics of each district through the profile, and now this phase of institutionalisation reinforces the alignment of our plans to inform short, medium, and long-range targets.
“As part of implementing the District Delivery Model and responding to the impact of Covid-19, economic recovery plans have been developed in 46 districts and metropolitan municipalities, and the department is working with the remaining districts to finalise their recovery plans.”
Dlodlo said that these plans highlight key interventions that will be implemented, mainly focusing on relief measures for both informal and formal businesses through financial and non-financial interventions.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the National Coronavirus Command Council is considering whether or not the country will continue with the National State of Disaster legislation currently in place.
The National State of Disaster was declared by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as a response to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, nearly two years ago.
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