Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Thembi Nkadimeng has allocated more than R16 million in disaster grants to five Western Cape municipalities.
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Yesterday, Nkadimeng stated that disasters in South Africa have far-reaching consequences.
These disasters have not only left a trail of devastation in their wake, but they have also broken family structures, disrupted communities, endangered livelihoods, and put a strain on infrastructure.
‘The devastation and hardship witnessed in the aftermath of these disasters serve as a reminder of the challenges we confront in our collective pursuit of improving disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and moving towards a more resilient state.’
She stated that her department has allocated funding for grants to disaster-affected areas via the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), which is critical in facilitating the recovery and rebuilding process.
‘The allocation of these funds after a disaster allows for the immediate provision of essential services and resources to affected communities.’
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The NDMC set aside R3.835 billion for relief and recovery initiatives in fiscal year 2022/23.
‘In the fiscal year 2023/24, the National Treasury approved an allocation of R 1.844 billion to address the lingering effects of disasters across multiple provinces, including the Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape, the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.’
‘These funds are earmarked to facilitate urgent repairs, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of infrastructure, with a focus on ensuring access to clean, reliable water and essential government facilities for affected communities,’ said Nkadimeng.
Following the allocation approval, the National Treasury last month released R372 million from the Municipal Disaster Response Grant to 36 municipalities to fund flood prevention measures.
The Hessequa Municipality in the Western Cape received R5.2 million, Knysna R2.6 million, Drakenstein R435 000, Swartland R350 000 and Cederberg R7.8 million.
Anton Bredell, MEC for Local Government, expressed appreciation for the allocation.
The allocation comes as the Western Cape emerges from a cut-off low pressure that has persisted since the weekend. ‘Even though the heavy downpours are expected to taper off during the day, we are closely monitoring this situation, as it can contribute to flooding downstream,’ said Bredell.
‘On our coastline, we are particularly concerned about estuaries at Mossel Bay and Wilderness.’
‘From the ocean side, there is a spring tide coinciding with storm surges due to the weather system.’
‘From the inland side, we are experiencing strong flowing rivers and overflowing dams.’
‘Taken together, these conditions are increasing the risks of flooding at estuaries, even if the river mouths are opened to the ocean.’
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