The need for the metro to have a coordinated disaster management strategy to mitigate risks that could impact businesses and residents took centre stage yesterday when Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman delivered a talk on best practices for disaster management and the work needed for Nelson Mandela Bay to be disaster ready.
The meeting was organised by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber as part of a multi-stakeholder consultative exercise comprising senior municipal officials, business representatives and Chamber task team and cluster members, which is anticipated to culminate in the establishment of the Chamber’s Risk Management Desk.
Dr Sooliman highlighted the critical importance of coordination in disaster management. He emphasised that delays and accountability issues often stem from fragmented efforts across different spheres. “A centralised system, where a single entity coordinates all relevant stakeholders and resources, is essential for an effective response. Response teams must be on site within two hours of a disaster to quickly assess the situation and ensure safety of affected communities,” he said.
He further elaborated that it was important for all relevant stakeholders, including affected communities, to work as a unit to expedite things.
He also stressed the value of community involvement, noting that disaster management should be a collaborative effort involving all stakeholders, including affected communities.
“Community participation is crucial for a collective approach, where everyone contributes to the solution. Disaster teams should lead with empathy and respect,” Sooliman remarked.
Acting City Manager Mandla George concurred, underscoring the importance of collaboration between municipal authorities and businesses to address challenges and enhance the city’s disaster preparedness. George acknowledged the ongoing resource constraints faced by the municipality and welcomed the support from the business community.
George said “As the city we do not take lightly the role that business plays in addressing some of the challenges engulfing our metro. It is for this reason that we continue to find ways of working in collaboration to address identified challenges to make this city better. Lack of resources is a continuous challenge for the municipality and as such, the support we receive from the business community is always welcomed and highly appreciated.”
Chamber chief executive Denise van Huyssteen outlined several pressing issues facing the metro, including the absence of a disaster plan since 2010, inadequately secured infrastructure, poorly maintained drains, lack of maintenance of dolosse and unaddressed alien vegetation.
“If you look at all these areas we have highlighted, this shows that there is a growing need for both reactive and proactive action to be taken. This is why we recently started the process of formulating a Disaster Management Task Team and are also aiming to establish a Risk Management Desk. We are therefore making a clarion call to our stakeholders and members to collaborate with us in playing an active part in driving solutions which will mitigate the various disaster management risks,” says Van Huyssteen.