W Cape receives R16m disaster grant

FIVE Western Cape municipalities have been allocated more than R16 million in disaster grants by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Thembi Nkadimeng.

Yesterday, Nkadimeng said the impact of disasters in South Africa had far-reaching consequences.

These disasters left not only a trail of destruction in their wake, but have also broken family structures, disrupted communities, endangered livelihoods, and put a strain on infrastructure, she said.

“The devastation and hardship witnessed in the aftermath of these disasters serve as a reminder of the challenges we confront in our collective pursuit of improving disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and moving towards a more resilient state.”

She said through the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), her department has allocated funding for grants to disaster-stricken areas, playing a crucial role in facilitating the recovery and rebuilding process.

“The allocation of these funds after a disaster allows for the immediate provision of essential services and resources to affected communities.”

In the 2022/23 financial year, the NDMC allocated R3.835 billion towards relief and recovery initiatives.

“In the fiscal year 2023/24, the National Treasury approved an allocation of R 1.844 billion to address the lingering effects of disasters across multiple provinces, including the Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape, the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.

“These funds are earmarked to facilitate urgent repairs, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of infrastructure, with a focus on ensuring access to clean, reliable water and essential government facilities for affected communities,” said Nkadimeng.

Following the allocation approval, the National Treasury last month released R372 million from the Municipal Disaster Response Grant for flood prevention measures in 36 municipalities.

In the Western Cape, the Hessequa Municipality was allocated R5.2m, Knysna R2.6m, Drakenstein R435 000, Swartland R350 000, and Cederberg R7.8m.

Local Government MEC Anton Bredell, said they appreciated the allocation.

The allocation comes as the Western Cape moves out of a cut-off low pressure experienced since the weekend. “Even though the heavy downpours are expected to taper off during the day, we are closely monitoring this situation, as it can contribute to flooding downstream,” said Bredell.

“On our coastline, we are particularly concerned about estuaries at Mossel Bay and Wilderness.

“From the ocean side, there is a spring tide coinciding with storm surges due to the weather system.

“From the inland side, we are experiencing strong flowing rivers and overflowing dams.

“Taken together, these conditions are increasing the risks of flooding at estuaries, even if the river mouths are opened to the ocean.”