I, Dr Mmaphaka Tau, in my capacity as Head of the National Disaster Management Centre, after consultation with the relevant Provincial Disaster Management Centres, and after reassessing the magnitude and severity of the ongoing drought occurring in at least three provinces in the country, hereby give notice that the National Disaster Management Centre on 08 February 2018 in terms of section 23(3) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002) (the Act), reclassified the drought as a national disaster.