Lo mhlangano ububanjelwe eDurban Botanic Gardens, lapho abezindaba bethole khona ithuba lokuxoxisana ngqo nochwepheshe ngezibikezelo zesimo sezulu, ukulungela izinhlekelele, ezempilo yomphakathi, ukuqina kwengqalasizinda ekubhekaneni nezimo zezulu ezinzima kanye nokuphathwa kwemvelo.
UMasipala weTheku ubambe umhlangano wokuhlomisa abezindaba ngolwazi mayelana nesimo sezulu esaziwa nge-El Niño kanye nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu. Lo mhlangano ubuhlanganise izintatheli, ososayensi bezesimo sezulu, abacwaningi kanye nochwepheshe bakaMasipala, ngenhloso yokuqwashisa umphakathi nokuwulungiselela ukubhekana nesikhathi se-El Niño okulindeleke ukuthi sifike.
Lo mhlangano ububanjelwe eDurban Botanic Gardens, lapho abezindaba bethole khona ithuba lokuxoxisana ngqo nochwepheshe ngezibikezelo zesimo sezulu, ukulungela izinhlekelele, ezempilo yomphakathi, ukuqina kwengqalasizinda ekubhekaneni nezimo zezulu ezinzima kanye nokuphathwa kwemvelo.
Ohlelweni lwalo mhlangano bekunezethulo ezivela kwaSouth African Weather Service (SAWS), obekugxilwe kuzo ezibikezelweni zesimo sezulu kanye ne-El Niño.
USolwazi Cathy Sutherland waseNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali (UKZN) wethule inkulumo ngomthelela wokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kohulumeni basekhaya, kanti uSolwazi Rajen Naidoo yena ukhulume ngemiphumela yokushisa okukhulu ezinganeni kanye nezindlela zokuvikela impilo yabantu ezingozini ezihambisana nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu.
Ochwepheshe abahlukene bakaMasipala nabo bethule izinhlelo zeDolobha zokubhekana nalezi zinselelo kanye nezinhlelo zesikhathi eside zokuzivumelanisa nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu.
Ekhuluma kulo mhlangano, okhulumela uMasipala weTheku, uSenzelwe Mzila, ugcizelele ukubaluleka kweqhaza labezindaba ekudluliseleni emphakathini ulwazi oluqondile noluthembekile ngezimo zezulu.
UMzila uthe njengoba izingozi ezihambisana nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu ziqhubeka nokuthinta imiphakathi eyahlukene eThekwini, kubalulekile ukuthi izakhamuzi zithole ulwazi olunembile, oluthembekile nolufika ngesikhathi.
“Ngalo mhlangano besihlose ukuhlomisa abasebenzi bezindaba ngolwazi nokuqonda okudingekayo ukuze babike ngendlela efanele ngezindaba ezithinta i-El Niño, ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye nokulungela izinhlekelele.
“Umphakathi onolwazi ungumphakathi okulungele kangcono ukubhekana nezimo ezinzima. Abezindaba basengabanye babambisene nathi ababaluleke kakhulu ekwakheni imiphakathi ekwazi ukumelana nezinhlekelele,” kusho uMzila.
Ngesikhathi ethula inkulumo yakhe, uSolwazi Cathy Sutherland ugcizelele ukuthi ohulumeni basekhaya sebenomthwalo owandayo wokubhekana nezinselelo ezidalwa ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye nezinkinga zemvelo.
USutherland uchaze ukuthi i-El Niño ayidali izinkinga ezintsha ngokuphelele, kodwa yandisa ubunzima bezinkinga ezivele zikhona emiphakathini.
“I-El Niño ayidali ubuthakathaka obusha, kodwa yenza izinselelo ezikhona zibe zimbi kakhulu. Lezi zihlanganisa ukuntuleka kwamanzi, ukungatholakali kokudla okwanele, izingozi zezempilo kanye nemiphumela yobubha.
“Ukwakha imiphakathi ekwazi ukumelana nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kudinga ukubambisana phakathi kukahulumeni, imiphakathi, abacwaningi kanye nezinkampani ezizimele ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi kunezindlela ezisebenzayo zokuzivumelanisa nalezi zimo nokubhekana nazo,” kusho uSolwazi Sutherland.
Phakathi kwezihloko ezibalulekile okuxoxwe ngazo kubalwa ukuvikeleka kwemithombo yamanzi, ukutholakala kokudla okwanele, ukunciphisa izingozi zezinhlekelele, ukwakhiwa kwengqalasizinda ekwazi ukumelana nezimo zezulu ezinzima, ukuphathwa kwezinga lomoya kanye nokubaluleka kwezinhlelo zokuxwayisa umphakathi kusenesikhathi.
Ochwepheshe baphinde bethula izinhlelo ezahlukene zikaMasipala okuhloswe ngazo ukuqinisa amandla emiphakathi okubhekana nezinhlekelele kanye nokukhuthaza intuthuko esimeme.
Ngesikhathi kwethulwa izinhlelo zokulungela izinhlekelele, uJotham Khumalo ophikweni lukaMasipala weTheku olubhekele ukuphathwa kwezinhlekelele (Disaster Management Directorate), uchaze kabanzi ngezinyathelo ezithathwa yiDolobha ukulungiselela izimo eziphuthumayo ezihambisana nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu.
Lezi zinyathelo zihlanganisa ukusungulwa kwethimba elizohlanganisa imisebenzi yokubhekana ne-El Niño (El Niño Coordination Team), ukuhlolwa okuqhubekayo kwezingozi ezingase zivele, ukuqiniswa kwezinhlelo zokuxwayisa kusenesikhathi kanye nokuthatha izinyathelo ngokushesha.
Kukhona nemikhankaso yokuqwashisa umphakathi kanye nokuhlelwa kwezindlela zokubhekana nezinhlekelele ngokubambisana, kusetshenziswa isikhungo sokuhlanganisa imisebenzi yezimo eziphuthumayo esaziwa nge-Joint Operations Centre (JOC).
UMasipala uphinde waqinisa amalungiselelo awo ngokubuyekeza uHlelo Lokulawulwa Kwezingozi Nezinhlekelele (Disaster Risk and Response Management Plan).
Kulolu hlelo kufakwe nezifundo ezatholakala ngesikhathi sezigameko zezikhukhula ezedlule, ngenhloso yokuqinisekisa ukuthi iDolobha likwazi ukubhekana nezinhlekelele zesikhathi esizayo ngendlela esheshayo, ehlelekile nenokubambisana.
UMasipala weTheku uphethe ngokugcizelela ukuzibophezela kwawo ekuqhubekeni nokusebenzisana eduze nabezindaba ukuze izakhamuzi zihlale zinolwazi ngezingozi ezihambisana nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu.
Lokhu kuhlanganisa nokwazisa umphakathi ngezinyathelo ezithathwayo ukuvikela izakhamuzi, ingqalasizinda kanye nezinsiza ezibalulekile ezidingwa yimiphakathi nsuku zonke.
Umthombo: UMnyango Wezokuxhumana kaMasipala weTheku.
