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Participant 4
Information sharing, that’s the best. It has proven to be the best during the COVID era. In Alfred Nzo we were one of the districts
as rural as we are. We didn’t have a lot of deaths because we embarked on education from the word go. There will be people who think they know, but we keep on, as local government, engaging people in education before the disaster happens. And in education was as we are speaking now, there are things that you are picking up that you were not aware of before. So education has that element. If you have a receptive mind, you can say, No wonder this happened like this. It is because this was supposed to have been done like this. So education is our main.” And secondly, we have plans like those that I’m saying, building plans. Don’t build in a lowland, in a plane, in a flood plain. All those things, they start from the education level before you can say you implement. There definitely, there will be a level of implementation, but we have to educate first. Information is power.
Participant 5
I think it boils it boils down to one thing that I’ve been talking about. It’s capacity building, information, training of our communities on them, or on the protective factors. You know? What can they do to protect themselves should such disasters, you know, prevail? What should they do in terms of building their homes? We can’t just have plots that are on wetlands. You know what I mean? Yes. A lot needs to be done in educating people before the disasters strike because, you know, when you are reactive now, people
feel good.
But when you have invested on educating them, equipping them, capacitating them for resilience, then we become a very strong, you know, municipality, that strong nation that is not easily eroded by the by disasters that strike.
Collaboration with Higher Learning and Research Institutions
The results highlight the need for stronger collaboration with higher learning and research institutions to improve disaster resilience. Focus group participants noted the lack of research-based solutions for recurring hazards, such as veld fires. Collaborating with universities would provide better insights into local hazards and help develop long-term solutions.
Focus group Participant
“Lastly. I think I think we need to double our own efforts in connection with the institutions of our of higher learning. Okay. More so on the area of recycling. Yes I think we are lacking there. Because, like, for instance, we’ve got a situation where more than 5 years so your mind is Yes.”
Another Focus group Participant added
“Yeah. I think we need to strengthen. Yeah. Okay. As my other, disaster management friend says. I think we need to pull up and put our efforts together and try to rope in the institutions f higher learning because we have got a situation where more than 5, 10 years we have been hard hit by the same kind of hazard but. I mean the kind of research required has not been attained so that for us, at least, we are able to come up with a very informed Yeah. Way of, I mean, dealing with that kind of situation. You see? Yeah. I think I think I think the research aspect is really needed. Like for instance particularly, we talk of veld fires, its something that we know that at a particular season will affected us but we are unable to say this is the kind of effort that will withstand the kind of, the impact and the effects. I think I think the issue of research is lacking.”
Economic Diversification and Local Development
The findings underscore the importance of economic diversification to improve resilience and local development. Participant 7 highlighted the potential for mining and gas exploration to create employment opportunities and generate revenue for municipalities.
Industrial Development to Create Job Opportunities
Participant 7
“Okay. You see, if, for example, this issue of mining can be approved Yes What area is having a potential in mining? Then it can assist the area. There’s also a talk of a gas in the coastal area so that can assist in terms of improving our livelihoods in our areas. Okay.
And also, once we have that, they also improve the income for the municipality because now if you are having those mines, if you are having those gas. Companies, then the municipality will charge, the rates, which will be the income for the municipality.”
A Focus group participant emphasised the necessity for industries in rural areas to provide job opportunities. Participants highlighted that the absence of local industries forces educated individuals to leave their communities in search of better opportunities, contributing to a significant “brain drain.” This migration deprives rural communities of skilled professionals who could otherwise contribute to local development.
Focus group Participant
“introduce industries so as to create more job opportunities. Also, it was mentioned that people from here are educated. They are, I also know that they are but the thing is there are no places for them to work here. So after they are educated they go out.so if maybe there can be something like okay we will fund you at tertiary level. And when you finish there is this kind of employment waiting for you in Bizana and not outside of Bizana. So if we’re maybe we were to invest in the younger generations.”
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