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By Marlvin Ngiza
The cabinet has ratified the Disaster and Risk Management Bill as a way of ensuring preparedness and swift response to the increase of disasters in the country.
The Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Bill will promote the involvement of all citizens in disaster-prone communities in managing the increasing multiplicity and severity of disasters and associated risks.
This was said by the Acting Information and Publicity Minister, Dr. Jenfan Muswere at a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday.
“Cabinet considered and approved the Principles for the Disaster Risk and Management Bill, which were presented by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable July Moyo.
“The Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Bill will amend the Civil Protection Act in order to ensure adequate preparedness and predictability in responses to and the general management of disasters, which are on the increase in terms of both categories and intensity. This will guarantee a proactive or preventative rather than a reactive approach that focuses on dealing with the effects of a disaster. Accordingly, the Bill will provide for the strengthening of the disaster risk governance architecture to manage the risk at the national, provincial, and local levels,” said Dr. Muswere
The Bill will ensure the establishment of organisational structures at all levels with National committees being headed by Ministers under the support of the National Coordinating Committee on Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection.
The approved bill will streamline the issuance of death certificates for missing persons during a disaster.
Dr. Muswere said organisational structures will therefore be established at national, provincial, district, local authority, ward, and village levels. A National Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Centre is also provided.
The National Committee will now be headed by Ministers, with a National Coordinating Committee on Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection, which incorporates the relevant Government Departments and Agencies as well as non-state actors, providing the necessary support. Provincial Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Committees, comprising line Ministry representatives in the respective provinces will be established.
The existing district, ward, and village structures in terms of the Traditional Leaders Act and the Rural and Urban Councils Act will be adapted to include disaster risk management functions. Furthermore, Disaster Risk Management Officers and their assistants, as well as volunteers, will be specified for each locality.
The Committees will be required to produce annual plans on the predictability and preparedness for disasters, including issues to do with monitoring and evaluation.
“Other highlights of the Bill include streamlining the issuance of presumption of death certificates for missing persons during a disaster; and that the Civil Protection Fund will be renamed Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Fund in order to reflect the expanded sources of funds and their applications, including resilience building,” added Dr. Muswere.
The principles are a result of extensive consultations held with all stakeholders.