Hon House Chairperson, hon Minister Molewa, hon members, the SA Weather Service was established in accordance with the 2001 South African Weather Services Act. In terms of its vision statement, the SA Weather Service aims to provide useful and innovative weather, climate and related products and services by enhancing observational data and ... utilising cutting-edge technology to convert data into meaningful products and services for risk mitigation.
As weather and climate know no national boundaries, international co- operation at a global level is of the utmost importance for the development of meteorology and operational hydrology. It is therefore important to know that the SA Weather Service is a member of the World Meteorological Organisation, WMO, a specialised agency of the UN which has played a unique and a powerful role in contributing to the safety and welfare of this country.
The ANC, at its 52nd National Conference, noted that South Africa is experiencing increasing severe weather such as flooding, lightning, thunderstorms, tornadoes and some areas of excessive heatwaves which are causing damage to our property and infrastructure, and are jeopardising human settlements and livelihoods, particularly in the low-lying coastal areas. The conference therefore resolved that the ANC-led government should continue to proactively build South Africa's capacity in developing a comprehensive strategy to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate and weather changes, including the rolling out of basic services and infrastructure planning.
In January this year, a severe cut-off of low pressure system led to floods in the north-eastern parts of our country. The Vhembe District in the north- western parts of the Limpopo province as well as Mpumalanga province were mostly affected by flooding that swept away bridges, roads, fertile agricultural land, causing death and injuries in some affected areas. As a result, the Vhembe District was declared a disaster area at the time. As disaster preparedness is important in the case of severe weather events, the SA Weather Service, in co-operation with disaster management, reaches out to all communities through public awareness programmes that aim to educate the public and empower them with the ability to act. The aim is to develop a weather-ready nation that knows what to do and will respond appropriately to severe weather warnings.
Since its establishment, the SA Weather Service has always been the only official provider of severe weather-related warnings for South Africa in order to ensure that there is a single authority to voice in this regard. This South African Weather Service Amendment Bill emphasises that the SA Weather Service should continue to issue severe weather-related warnings. However, it must first consult with the Minister to ensure that South Africans are protected against false, misleading and/or hoax warnings that can result - and unfortunately have already in the past resulted - in undue public panic, related stress and injuries, evacuations or mobilisation of emergency services and subsequent fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
Although it has effectively been illegal for anyone other than the SA Weather Service to issue severe weather-related warnings for South Africa since 2001, it is only now that there are possible criminal consequences for illegal warning that are proposed in the South African Weather Service Amendment Bill. In order to ensure that we build our resilience to the weather impact, we must ensure that our warning systems are efficient, effective and mostly credible.
With the real possibility of increasing extreme weather events, the potential for false, misleading and/or hoax warnings significantly undermining public confidence in or appropriate public reaction to warnings is of real concern. A section is being inserted in the principal Act that states:
No person may publish, disseminate or distribute in any manner whatsoever any severe weather warning which he or she knows, believes or ought to have reasonably known or suspected to be false or misleading; or may incite public reaction which may lead to the undue mobilisation of resources, public alarm or evacuations, or economic loss arising from such actions.
A person who contravenes any of these provisions, or subsections thereof, will be guilty of an offence and liable, in the case of a first conviction, to a fine not exceeding R5 million or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years. Furthermore, whenever any person is convicted and it appears that such a person has, by that offence, caused loss or damage to any organ of state or other person, the court may inquire summarily into the amount of the loss or damage so caused and give judgment therefore in favour of the organ of state or the person concerned. The ANC supports the South African Weather Service Amendment Bill. [Time expired.] [Applause.]