The declarations will allow national emergency funds to go to the areas in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal (east), Eastern Cape (southeast), Mpumulanga (northeast), Free State (centre) and Northern Cape (south), a government statement said.

A cabinet committee on disaster management met on Thursday to consider the situation and will present a report next week, it said.

The statement noted that the government had allocated 250 million randmillion dollars) for drought relief in October.

"Various government departments have been active in dealing with the effects of these disasters ever since the first signs appeared," it said.

Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe have also reported droughts recently.

TERRA.WIRE