The National Treasury has released R372 million from the Municipal Disaster Response Grant (MDRG) for municipalities that were affected by floods in the past few years. In April 2022, more than 400 people d!3d due to floods in KwaZulu Natal, more than 20 in the Eastern Cape in January 2022 while devastating floods in the Western Cape claimed the lives of 11 people in September last year. Since last weekend, heavy storms have caused havoc in the Western Cape, and this forced the provincial government to temporarily suspend learning and teaching at over 300 schools.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) ,Thembi Nkadimeng, said that the allocated funds are meant for urgent repairs, infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. “The focus is to ensure access to clean, reliable water and essential government facilities for affected communities. Currently, 199 projects across seven provinces have been green-ighted, with an initial allocation of R372,001,000. The breakdown of projects includes 65 in KwaZulu-Natal, 36 in the Eastern Cape, 30 in the Western Cape, 29 in Free State, 19 in Mpumalanga, 18 in Limpopo, and two in the North West,” Nkadimeng said, adding that the disasters have not only left a trail of destruction in their wake, but have also broken family structures, disrupted communities, endangered livelihoods and put a strain on existing infrastructure. “The focus is to ensure access to clean, reliable water and essential government facilities for affected communities,” she said.
Nkadimeng said in order to make sure that the funds are managed well and not misused, consistent reports and compliance measures will be a priority. According to Nkadimeng, provincial governments have been mandated to submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports covering both financial and non-financial aspects of their disaster management initiatives to the National Disaster Management Centre. Furthermore, the National Disaster Management Centre along with Provincial Disaster Management Centres, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency, and relevant sector departments, will conduct regular site visits to ensure projects adhere to quality standards, “she said.
Source Zimoja
