Cape Town — The National treasury (NT) has allocated R372 million from the Municipal Disaster Response Grant (MDRG) to help assist communities across the country affected by floods.
Heavy rains have led to floods in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), Eastern Cape and Western Cape and the NT approved the allocation of funds from its R1.84 billion for the 2023/24 financial year to be used to address effects of disasters across the country, SA Gov News said.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thembi Nkadimeng, said these funds are earmarked to facilitate urgent repairs, reconstruction, and infrastructure rehabilitation to ensure areas have access to clean water and essential government facilities.
Nkadimeng announced that 199 projects across various municipalities in seven provinces have already been approved, with a total allocation of R372 001 000.
These include 65 projects 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.
The National Treasury last month released R372 million from the Municipal Disaster Response Grant as an intervention for municipalities affected by floods in recent times https://t.co/6t9RFGSIam
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) April 9, 2024
Nkadimeng assured South Africans that the allocation of disaster grants comes with stringent reporting and compliance measures to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds.
“Organs of state are mandated to submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to the NDMC [National Disaster Management Centre], covering both financial and non-financial aspects of their disaster management initiatives.” she said.
The Minister said through concerted efforts and collaborative initiatives, her department is determined to build a more resilient and responsive disaster management framework that prioritises the needs and concerns of communities and empowers them to weather the storms that may lie ahead.
While government strives to accelerate response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of disasters, she acknowledged the frustrations that communities often endure.
“We understand the immense challenges and hardships that accompany such trying times, and we empathise with the uncertainties and anxieties that our fellow South Africans may experience.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
