Auditor-General says government’s response to the KZN floods is too slow

Government has been slow to help the victims of the April floods, which destroyed people’s homes and lives in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Presenting her audit report before the ad hoc joint committee on flood disaster and recovery in parliament on Wednesday, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke said while government should be commended for assuming the responsibility to provide the victims with shelter and other necessities, the assistance was taking a long time to reach the victims.

In KZN, the provincial government undertook to build 1 810 temporary residential units, but so far only 736 structures have been built.

“The impact of this slow response is that residents and businesses in affected areas continue to experience hardship more than three months after the floods with little relief.
In KwaZulu-Natal, assessments were not adequately prepared and did not enable appropriate planning and implementation.

“This poor planning contributed to the slow delivery against planned milestones.”

The floods left more than 400 people dead while about 5 000 people were displaced after their houses were washed away.

Despite the national Treasury having set aside R1 billion to assist flood victims, some of the affected residents continue to live in halls and other unsuitable public spaces.

During its recent appearance before the KZN Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Human Settlement, the provincial Human Settlements Department told MPs that it was struggling to find suitable land on which to build houses for the displaced residents.

Some residents, it said, did not want to be moved to an area that is too far from the eThekwini CBD where they earn their living.

Despite the slow pace at which the government was responding to the needs of the displaced, Maluleke said she was satisfied with the manner in which it was providing social services to the victims.

This article was originally posted on The Witness.