Question NW70 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

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03 April 2023 - NW70

Profile picture: Brink, Mr C

Brink, Mr C to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What is the reason that she never replied to question 3522 that was published on 30 September 2022?

Reply:

Below receive response for question 3522 that was published on 30 September 2022.

QUESTION:

3522.   Mr J N de Villiers (DA) to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

Whether the National Disaster Management Centre has a detailed national disaster management plan in place for the risk of a total collapse of the national electricity grid and/or a complete and/or prolonged electricity outage; if not, on what date is it envisaged that such a plan will be in place; if so, (a) what (i) are the different steps that will be taken in terms of such a plan and (ii) events will prompt each of the specified steps and (b) which role players will be responsible for each of the steps? NW4335E

REPLY:

The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) does not have a consolidated national disaster management plan in place for the risk of a total collapse of the national electricity grid and/or a complete and/or prolonged electricity outage on the basis that the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002) (DMA) assigns the responsibility for the preparation of disaster management plans to all organs of state across the three spheres of government, which includes conducting a risk assessment for their functional area and formulating contingency arrangements to deal with the risks identified.

This includes the risk of a total collapse of the national electricity grid and/or a complete and/or prolonged electricity outage. 

The objective of the NDMC as outlined in section 9 of the DMA, is to promote an integrated and co-ordinated system of disaster management, with special emphasis on prevention and mitigation, by national, provincial and municipal organs of state amongst others. In this regard, in implementing the prevention and mitigation components, the NDMC has been working with ESKOM on the implementation of load shedding which is a highly controlled intervention made in terms of a National Code of Practice (NRS-048-9) to ensure the operability and security of the national power system from having a demand overload.

a) (i) & (ii) The respective disaster management centres established in the national, provincial and local government, in the unlikely event of a total collapse of the national electricity grid and/or a complete and/or prolonged electricity outage occurring, has the responsibility to bring organs of state of the respective sphere together to coordinate the implementation of the respective organs of states contingency plans developed in terms of the DMA. 

b) All organs of state 'have a responsibility to conduct a risk assessment for their functional area and formulate contingency arrangements to deal with the risks identified. This includes the risk of a total collapse of the national electricity grid and/or a complete and/or prolonged electricity outage.

End.

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