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14 November 2025
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DMISA 2025 Conference and AGM held at Sun City
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The 2025 edition of the DMISA Disaster Risk Reduction Conference 2025 held at the Sun City Resort, has given Southern Africa’s disaster-management community a much-needed moment of reflection, reconnection and forward-looking planning. With the theme “A Decade of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Southern Africa – progress, gaps and the road ahead”, the conference served as both a check-in on how far the region has come and a call to action for the challenges ahead.
A pre-conference workshop was held on 21 October 2025 focusing on ‘Navigating disaster risk – Practical priorities for action in DRR’, which was co-hosted with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) in partnership with SALGA.
DMISA is the professional, SAQA-recognised body for disaster management in Southern Africa. Its annual Disaster Risk Reduction Conference is widely regarded as the continent’s largest annual gathering of DRR practitioners, policymakers, researchers, civil-society representatives - all focused on reducing disaster risk and strengthening resilience.
2025 is a significant year globally: it marks ten years since adoption of the Sendai Framework. That’s why DMISA’s choice to reflect on “a decade of Sendai in Southern Africa” is timely. The Sendai Framework remains the global blueprint for shifting from reactive disaster response to proactive risk reduction.
The Conference started with the candle lighting ceremony and minute of silent reflection, with Dr Mal Reddy, Board member of DMISA, reflecting on the disasters over the past year.
Ms Lebogang Mosotho, President: DMISA welcomed all and provided an overview of the event, introducing Cllr Dikeledi Suzan Nthangeni, Executive Mayor of the host municipality, Bojanala Platinum District. This was followed by inspirational messages of support by Kgosi T M Seatlholo, the chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders and Cllr Mluleki Nkosi, the chairperson: SALGA National Emergency Services and Disaster Management Working Group.
An energetic and vibrant message was shared Maphanga Unathi Nandipha, a learner from Tlhabane Tech and Combined School, after which Mr Lazarus Mokgosi, Premier of the North West Province and Mr Oageng Molapisi, MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs shared their support.
The keynote and opening address by Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, National Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs followed after which Ms Mosotho’s presentation discussed ‘A decade of Sendai in Southern Africa’.
The NDMC’s Jurgens Dyssel provided an overview of the state of Disaster Management in South Africa from the perspective of the National Disaster Management Centre and Rudzani Malala, senior manager at the South Africa Weather Service discussed community-based early warnings. Jennie Tsekwa of Kindling shared the research and implementation of fire risk reduction in Cape Town and other parts of the world.
Owen Becker, Immediate Past President and Interim Registrar of DMISA, discussed ‘Risk-informed development and Sendai - how do we measure up? And Jaco Barnard, section manager: Business Continuity, Valterra Platinum and Francis Hoets, CEO of DMS NPC shared a case study at Valterra Platinum, ‘Collaborative disaster risk reduction in the mining sector: Integrated preparedness, response, recovery, and capacity building for mine induced emergencies.
There were several break-away sessions providing deep insight into DRR.
The conference reaffirms that disaster risk reduction can no longer be siloed; it’s not just about responding to disasters after they hit. Instead, DRR must be integrated into governance, planning, development, financing, infrastructure and social policy, the essence of the Sendai approach.
We will provide an indepth over view of the presentations and case studies in the magazine.
View the DMISA Conference 2025photo gallery here: https://www.frimedia.org/dmisa-2025.html.
Quote of the week
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller, author and activist
Fire and Rescue International is your magazine.
Read it, use it and share it!
Read the latest FRI magazine: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-vol-8-no-2.html
Read the latest Disaster Management Journal: https://www.frimedia.org/dmj-vol-7-no-1.html
FRI magazine archive: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-archives.html
DMJ magazine archive: https://www.frimedia.org/dmj-magazine.html
Enjoy the read!
Lee Raath-Brownie
Managing director
Cell: 082 371 0190
Contact us
Tel: 011 452 3135 or Email: [email protected]
Websites
www.fireandrescue.co
www.frimedia.org
Facebook
www.facebook.com/FireandRescueInternational
Twitter
www.twitter.com/FRI_magazine
LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-raath-brownie-16668065/
A pre-conference workshop was held on 21 October 2025 focusing on ‘Navigating disaster risk – Practical priorities for action in DRR’, which was co-hosted with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) in partnership with SALGA.
DMISA is the professional, SAQA-recognised body for disaster management in Southern Africa. Its annual Disaster Risk Reduction Conference is widely regarded as the continent’s largest annual gathering of DRR practitioners, policymakers, researchers, civil-society representatives - all focused on reducing disaster risk and strengthening resilience.
2025 is a significant year globally: it marks ten years since adoption of the Sendai Framework. That’s why DMISA’s choice to reflect on “a decade of Sendai in Southern Africa” is timely. The Sendai Framework remains the global blueprint for shifting from reactive disaster response to proactive risk reduction.
The Conference started with the candle lighting ceremony and minute of silent reflection, with Dr Mal Reddy, Board member of DMISA, reflecting on the disasters over the past year.
Ms Lebogang Mosotho, President: DMISA welcomed all and provided an overview of the event, introducing Cllr Dikeledi Suzan Nthangeni, Executive Mayor of the host municipality, Bojanala Platinum District. This was followed by inspirational messages of support by Kgosi T M Seatlholo, the chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders and Cllr Mluleki Nkosi, the chairperson: SALGA National Emergency Services and Disaster Management Working Group.
An energetic and vibrant message was shared Maphanga Unathi Nandipha, a learner from Tlhabane Tech and Combined School, after which Mr Lazarus Mokgosi, Premier of the North West Province and Mr Oageng Molapisi, MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs shared their support.
The keynote and opening address by Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, National Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs followed after which Ms Mosotho’s presentation discussed ‘A decade of Sendai in Southern Africa’.
The NDMC’s Jurgens Dyssel provided an overview of the state of Disaster Management in South Africa from the perspective of the National Disaster Management Centre and Rudzani Malala, senior manager at the South Africa Weather Service discussed community-based early warnings. Jennie Tsekwa of Kindling shared the research and implementation of fire risk reduction in Cape Town and other parts of the world.
Owen Becker, Immediate Past President and Interim Registrar of DMISA, discussed ‘Risk-informed development and Sendai - how do we measure up? And Jaco Barnard, section manager: Business Continuity, Valterra Platinum and Francis Hoets, CEO of DMS NPC shared a case study at Valterra Platinum, ‘Collaborative disaster risk reduction in the mining sector: Integrated preparedness, response, recovery, and capacity building for mine induced emergencies.
There were several break-away sessions providing deep insight into DRR.
The conference reaffirms that disaster risk reduction can no longer be siloed; it’s not just about responding to disasters after they hit. Instead, DRR must be integrated into governance, planning, development, financing, infrastructure and social policy, the essence of the Sendai approach.
We will provide an indepth over view of the presentations and case studies in the magazine.
View the DMISA Conference 2025photo gallery here: https://www.frimedia.org/dmisa-2025.html.
Quote of the week
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller, author and activist
Fire and Rescue International is your magazine.
Read it, use it and share it!
Read the latest FRI magazine: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-vol-8-no-2.html
Read the latest Disaster Management Journal: https://www.frimedia.org/dmj-vol-7-no-1.html
FRI magazine archive: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-archives.html
DMJ magazine archive: https://www.frimedia.org/dmj-magazine.html
Enjoy the read!
Lee Raath-Brownie
Managing director
Cell: 082 371 0190
Contact us
Tel: 011 452 3135 or Email: [email protected]
Websites
www.fireandrescue.co
www.frimedia.org
www.facebook.com/FireandRescueInternational
www.twitter.com/FRI_magazine
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-raath-brownie-16668065/