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ANC applauds government’s financial contribution to disaster hit KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

20 April 2022, 6:30 AM |

Busi Chimombe | @SABCNews

Houses damaged by floods in KwaZulu-Natal.

Image: S'khangiwe Mthiyane

Houses damaged by floods in KwaZulu-Natal.

The African National Congress has praised government’s relief efforts and planned interventions to deal with the flood crisis in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Government has availed R1-billion for emergency relief, rebuilding of homes and infrastructure and restoration of services.

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe says the party will join efforts on the ground to assist those affected.

“We have effectively declared and made all our offices throughout the country drop off centres this Friday. Our Treasurer General Mr Paul Mashatile will lead a delegation of the National Executive Committee to KwaZulu-Natal to both in action and indeed practically express our own support to those who have been affected by this and we shall also make sure that all that we have collected whether it be food parcels or dignity pads to use that moment to also distribute those.”

Disbursement of disaster funds will be closely monitored – Minister in the Presidency

Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, has assured South Africans that there will be close monitoring of how the funds to assist with the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape floods disaster are used.

He says government departments like Treasury and the Auditor-General will ensure that the cash is properly utilised.

This follows widespread concern that corrupt actors will siphon off the cash as happened with large amounts of resources intended for COVID relief.

Gungubele says, “What the President said is that structures like labour, community-based organisations, business and religious leaders and the private sector are expected to be a part of the broader oversight movement. So, it is in that context, but other structures which we are in control of, which are Treasury, Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and of course under AG on the other side, those structures are already at work.”

Political parties have questioned whether the money and resources allocated to help communities devastated by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, will get to their intended beneficiaries.

The government has allocated R1 billion towards the disaster to be used to help affected communities with emergency assistance, to rebuild their homes and restore services and infrastructure.

However, some political parties are demanding that there be better administration and oversight of the disbursement of funds.