KZN’s flood relief programme is ‘itself a disaster’

Facing a barrage of questions from members of parliament serving on the 20-member parliamentary Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka yesterday said the province has not yet received a cent from the R1 billion pledged by national government.

This, in response to public perception that national funds were misused by the KZN government.

In terms of government stipulations, flood-ravaged KZN is required to make an application to the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), based in Cogta and the national department of human settlements (DHS). Only after verification of the application by the NDMC and DHS is an application made by the NDMC and DHS to the National Treasury to release the funds.

Addressing the committee, undertaking visits to flood-hit areas in KZN, Eastern Cape and North West, Hlomuka said: “We have not received outcome from National Treasury because there is no new declaration done by the president.

“There is a narrative that the provincial government has been given the R1 billion.

“From where we are seated, there is not a cent that we have received from national government.

“What we have been requested by National Treasury is that provincial government departments should reprioritise their budgets going for municipalities.

“But you cannot adjust budgets willy-nilly without following certain processes.

ALSO READ: Sihle Zikalala criticises civil society over non-delivery of KZN flood relief

“The only support we have received has been in terms of personnel – such as engineers from water and sanitation.

“But the number of engineers is limited, because they have to be split into various districts.”

Hlomuka said it was “misleading to the public when people think we have received the R1 billion, with some people saying we have already corruptly spent the money – something we have never received”.

“We are still awaiting the methodology that is going to be used by National Treasury in allocating to us the R1 billion.

“When others want to score political points, they say we have already spent the money,” added Hlomuka.

ALSO READ: KZN floods: Report into R1bn relief funds might be released in August

In lambasting the KZN government for failure to effectively respond to the flood disaster, DA MP Dean Macpherson said he was “glad the MEC found his way here this morning”.

Said Macpherson: “I am resident of eThekwini and I must say that you have been absent.

“We have not seen the MEC and we have not heard from you – yet we are in a disaster.

“But I understand why.

“You are in this position where you don’t know where you want to go.

“The disaster management centre in the province has been a disaster on its own – we don’t know where it is or what it does,” MacPherson said.

“Whenever there has been a request for information or assistance, there has been only silence.

“Why has the centre failed to play its role?

“What is Cogta doing as regards to municipal spending in this time?” MacPherson asked.

In its aftermath, the disaster has left more than 450 people dead, an estimated 50 still missing and 14,000 homes damaged.