NATIONAL STATE OF DISASTER DECLARED AGAIN

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has announced that it has gazetted regulations issued in terms of the National State of Disaster. It was declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa to deal with the energy crisis in South Africa.

The regulations came into effect when they were published on Monday 27 February.

The regulations give the department the power to deal with the crisis. This includes the exemption of critical infrastructure from load shedding, allowing new generation capacity to speed past environmental laws, and unlocking finances through emergency procurement.

In the regulations, the department said that the objective of the regulations is to assist, protect and provide relief to the public and generally deal with the “destructive nature” and effects of the disaster.

Business Tech reports that the regulations allow all institutions within the national, provincial and local spheres of government – for the duration of the declared state of disaster – to use all their available resources to adopt energy-saving measures, ensure continuous operations of critical services, and release personnel and funds to address the crisis.

The department aims to minimise the impact of load shedding on lives and livelihoods, the economy and various critical services in the country.

Image credit: Euronews