Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says there will be strict oversight on disaster relief funds that are allocated to provinces. File Picture: Independent Newspapers Archives
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
With R1.4 billion in disaster relief funds allocated to flood-hit provinces, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has promised strict oversight to ensure the money is used effectively.
However concerns are already being raised in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature about the department’s failure to report progress.
“In the past, grants intended for disaster relief were not properly accounted for,” said Hlabisa.
“You would find projects marked as completed, but when inspected on the ground, there was nothing to show.”
He said the department is determined to prevent a repeat of past failures.
"We are stating it upfront, this money is only intended for the business plans submitted by the municipalities and provinces. It cannot be diverted to pay salaries or fund unrelated expenses,” said Hlabisa.
The funds, according to the minister, will be allocated across departments and municipalities based on their needs:
Oversight will include mandatory monthly and quarterly reports on how funds were spent, as well as unannounced site visits.“If we find any deviation, consequence management will be activated immediately,” Hlabisa warned.
However, the KZN legislature’s portfolio committee on Cogta has raised concerns about the department’s readiness and accountability.
Marlaine Nair, DA member of the provincial legislature and chairperson of the committee, said they had already been monitoring disaster funding and preparedness.
“We have taken a resolution that disaster management updates are a standing item on our monthly Cogta meeting agenda.”
Despite this, she said the department has not yet met the committee’s expectations. “At our last meeting on the 28th March, the department did not provide the reports requested in December” said Nair.
She added that the province remains unprepared for future disasters.
She also raised alarm over delays in a planned memorandum of agreement with eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Transport to install surveillance cameras on the N2 to enable the monitoring of roads during disasters. She said the agreement was supposed to have been signed in December.