KZN floods: Zikalala assures SA that no relief funds will be looted

As money pours in to help government recover from the devastating and deadly floods that hit KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the province’s Premier Sihle Zikalala has promised that there will be no looting of the funds.

“All the resources allocated for flood relief and the recovery and rebuilding process will be utilised in line with fiscal rectitude, accountability, transparency and openness,” Zikalala said.

He said the KZN government had learnt lessons from the corruption seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We want to emphasise the fact that, having learnt the lessons of Covid-19, no amount of corruption, maladministration and fraud will be tolerated or associated with this province,” said Zikalala.

“We want to assure our communities that all the funds will be used prudentially and that no one will be allowed to feast on the suffering of our people in order to line their pockets.”

ALSO READ: KZN floods: Billions pour in for aid but South Africans worried government will steal it

He said the province will be proactive in ensuring there is no corruption. This included a pre-audit that will be done by the provincial Treasury and constant monitoring of the spending and work being done, including by the Auditor-General.

Water infrastructure

Zikalala said they were still busy determining exactly how much is needed to fix the province’s water infrastructure, which he said was “hugely and severely damaged”.

“We’ll be able to give exact figures once we have done a thorough assessment,” he said.

R1 billion in relief funds

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said at least R1 billion in emergency relief funds will be sent to KZN to help the province rebuild after the floods.

Millions in rands have also been contributed by people and organisations in the private sector, including a R30 million donation from businessman Patrice Motsepe.

The death toll from the floods, as of Sunday night, now stands at 443.There are also at least 63 people still missing.

ALSO READ: KZN floods death toll rises to 443

Water tanker outside premier’s house

During the media briefing, Zikalala also addressed a video that went viral on social media of a water tanker parked at his house.

“I have seen in the media, in the social media that here is a clip, a video clip that is going viral with someone saying that he is by my house and that there are people who are putting water into my homestead. I think that I must clarify that upfront.”

He explained that the tanker made its way close to his home after servicing the area and his wife made her way to the tanker to fetch water.

“What the family, led by my wife, is doing in cooking and providing food to the people staying in that [community] hall and that clip has not surfaced. The man is only showing this clip where we called the water tanker to provide water and after water was provided to the whole community, we poured water at home.”