R433m drought funding announced

THE Western Cape is one of three provinces to receive a share of R433.524 million made available as immediate disaster relief funding for drought, according to Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Zweli Mkhize.

He announced the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape would also benefit.

Of this amount, R348.846m is to be transferred in the 2017/18 financial year, with R84.678m transferred in the 2018/19 financial year.

Last month, Mkhize, on behalf of the inter-ministerial task team on water, declared the prevailing water crisis affecting multiple provinces a national state of disaster.

“The reclassification of the drought as a national disaster by the head of the National Disaster Management Centre, under Government Notice 107/2017 published in Government Gazette 41439 on February 13, 2018 designated the primary responsibility for the co-ordination and management of the disaster to the national executive who must act in close co-operation with the other spheres of government to deal with the disaster and its consequences,” a statement read.

Mkhize emphasised that the declaration of a state of disaster at any level was not primarily aimed at requesting funding, but it is aimed at activating extraordinary measures, which might include funding, based on the need and other relevant conditions, to address the impact of such a disaster. – African News Agency (ANA)