Page 47 - Research Report 2025.1

Participant 5
“ So Alfred Ndzo are district municipalities in terms
of institutional arrangements does have the disaster, management unit with a head of disaster. Within its organigram there was a head a head of centre. It’s called the head of centre, and not necessarily the head of disaster. And the unit is fully fledged. They are DMOs, disaster management officers, and the field workers that have been, employed by the Alfred Ndzo to make sure Alfred Ndzo is always prepared for disasters. They are disaster management plans and policies here in Alfred Ndzo. Okay. That, yeah, responsive to or, preparing the municipality for whatever that can happen. There’s also the in terms of institutional arrangements within the disaster management, yeah, unit within the Alfred Ndzo that there is a disaster management forum where the district as a whole, that the Alfred Ndzo district municipality, and
the all the family of municipalitiesfimpact of disa forming up Alfred Ndzo. They sit together and discuss the issues of the of the disaster. Also, there is a JOC. That was established during the pandemic, and it’s still working today.
Disaster preparedness plans , they do contribute to the resilience of our of our oh, yeah. Yeah. I would say, of our
communities. Also, the many strides by government working together, they have contributed. Look at, the 350 that were introduced. They have, even though its little, I would say,
they have contributed. And, the support program, the LED support programs that I talked about earlier, where SMMEs were supported. There has also been some farmers have been provided feed for all the livestock during that period of in Pandemic.”
Participant 6
“Yeah. We have a program within the municipalities. Hey. That’s called poverty alleviation program. Poverty alleviation program. It targets exactly people like that. Yeah. So to supply them with, with food parcels, but not limited. Yeah. Food parcels. Yes. Supply them with a batch of chicks. Batch of, seedlings. Yep. Yes. Yeah. To say they must take part to change their lives. Through our poverty alleviation program.”
Participant 7
“We coordinate joint operations, because the local municipality is having a mandate to coordinate activities post disaster. So there’s a joint operational centre made out of government departments.”
NGO Partnerships
NGO partnerships are crucial for community resilience, as highlighted by Participant 5. NGOs provide essential resources and expertise that complement government efforts, particularly in areas such as environmental preservation and health. Participant 2 noted that NGOs create job opportunities through projects like alien plant removal, while others focus on supporting vulnerable youth affected by crime. These collaborations extend the municipality’s ability to serve its communities, especially in times of crisis.
Participant 5
And, also, there are NGOs that are working in partnership with government in making sure that they are supporting the livelihoods of the people of Alfred Ndzo. For example, we do have, NGOs that have to do with, such as we are as (ERS) environmental and rural services in Matatiel that are working together, partnering with the communities and government to ensure that the environment is being, preserved and also to ensure that our people tap into the farming industry. Also, there are NGOs, Alfred Ndzo, that have to do with health issues, with issue and all your HIV and AIDS that are assisting Alfred Ndzo friends. Also, there is an NGO in Ntabankulu whereby that NGO is responsive is looking at, the youth the vulnerable youth that are the victims of crime. So those are kids who are the victims of crime, they are kept in that canter, and they, they are allocated a budget from the Department of Social Development until they are able to find the adoptive parents.
Participant 2 comments
The Matatiele side has wealth of NGOs, that side. All that are dealing with these things. So they are always coming up with funding the funds to create job opportunities in the space of maybe, alien plants removal projects that are there to make sure that our communities, as much as we deal with the issue of aliens, but our communities must benefit in terms of job creation.
Private Sector Involvement
The private sector plays a significant role in disaster resilience, particularly through its partnerships with local governments and insurance companies. Participant 2 highlighted how local businesses provided essential aid during disasters, helping to ensure that communities received food, resources, and support.
Participant 2
“It was all not only government institutions that we would see supporting and trying to give people resources and food and other aid. Yes. In terms of dealing with the disaster, but there was business as well. People who have businesses, in the local government space, they were there to make sure that they assist local government in making sure that people, do survive, in making sure that, opportunities for the young, who were who had small businesses but are being, hindered by a disaster.”
The focus group discussions further emphasised the involvement
of the private sector in filling critical gaps when municipal resources
were insufficient during disaster response efforts. For example, a Focus Group Participant discussed the partnerships between the district municipality and private sector entities, including insurance companies like Santam and Old Mutual. These partnerships enabled the municipality to gather resources from private entities and distribute them to local municipalities,providing much-needed external support when the municipality was unable to cope on its own. However, despite these contributions, there remains a sense of dissatisfaction regarding the business sector’s commitment to fulfilling its social responsibilities.
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