R6bn for drought relief ‘not enough’
Zille takes a swipe at national government in penultimate Sopa
THE NATIONAL government’s R6 billion investment towards drought relief and water augmentation schemes split between all drought-stricken provinces in the country was insufficient, Premier Helen Zille said while presenting her penultimate State of the Province Address (Sopa).
Zille’s Sopa, focused on the Western Cape drought, has been characterised by interventions.
“I note that in (Wednesday’s) Budget, R6bn was set aside for drought relief and infrastructure for the five provinces hit by the current drought. Although R6bn is a lot of money, divided between five provinces it will hardly touch sides if it is intended both for relief and new infrastructure. The City’s infrastructure-build programme, on its own, amounts to almost R6bn,” Zille said.
She said no local government should have to shoulder the burden of capital and operational costs for what is a national function. “Although bulk water supply is its mandate, the national Department of Water and Sanitation has not made funding available for augmentation in this crisis, because the national Treasury has literally turned off their funding tap following a disastrous audit outcome. As a result, the City of Cape Town has stepped into the breach with aquifer extraction, water reuse and desalination projects to the tune of some R5.9bn over the 5-year medium-term revenue expenditure framework,” she said.
Zille added that while managing a provincial disaster, declared in May last year, the provincial government also had to continue delivering on core functions.
“This is not a normal drought. Hydrologists analysing rainfall records as far back as they go have calculated that a severe threeyear drought in the Western Cape has a 0.25% chance of occurring,” she said.
Zille said the provincial government had diverted more than R369 million from core functions to supplement disaster funding.
“The funds have gone to supporting municipalities with water supply projects, and to helping smallholder farmers to survive this crippling drought.
“A contribution of R40m was received from the National Disaster Management Centre for livestock feed assistance to smallholders.
“We have committed 100% of these funds, and the money is being paid out in line with proper processes.”
Zille also referred to two critical dam projects for agriculture and the economy, Brandvlei and Clanwilliam.
Brandvlei Dam, at a minimal cost of R15m, an additional 4 400 hectares can be irrigated with the potential of creating upward of 8 000 new rural jobs.
“(Water and Sanitation) Minister Nomvula Mokonyane recently gave us a firm commitment to expedite all necessary approvals for Brandvlei. The agricultural sector has already indicated its willingness to provide funding support for this project,” said Zille.
Speaking on the economy, Zille said the provincial economy remained resilient, despite the drought and other natural disasters. “A total of 598 000 new jobs were added in the Western Cape since the fourth quarter of 2009, the year we took office. The province has also once again recorded the lowest official unemployment rate, which now stands at 19.5%, against a national rate of 26.7%.”
She added that since 2014 the province had secured R7.2bn in investments, a total of 64 trade deals worth R11.1bn and R691m in deals through its African Expansion Programme.
Zille said the provincial government had also launched 178 wi-fi hotspots in the province, benefiting at least 250 000.
On land reform, she said since 2014 the province had facilitated more than R500m in conditional grant funding to 357 businesses operating on land reform farms.
Pierre Uys, ANC chief whip, said they would have wanted to hear Zille speak on how the province would latch on to the national development plan. “But instead we heard of all the clean audits, which basically means nothing for the man on the street.”
Cape Chamber of Commerce president Janine Myburgh said despite the devastating drought and fires Zille had painted a positive picture.
The opposition parties will debate her Sopa today.