Windfall for drought pain

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Zweli Mkhize has welcomed the funding allocated to deal with the drought still wreaking havoc in parts of the country.

In the medium-term budget policy statement on Wednesday, Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni said R3.2 billion had been allocated to deal with the effects of drought and water scarcity, while R1.6 billion would go to grapple with the impact of storms and fires.

This will strengthen mitigation measures in the face of the weather outlook, which indicates the El Nino phenomenon may reoccur during the 2018-19 summer season through to the winter rainfall season.

Mkhize, who is chairperson of an interministerial task team on drought and water scarcity, said the funds would assist affected communities in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, where a state of disaster had been declared. Storms devastated parts of KZN and the Western Cape last year and fires turned much of Knysna into a wasteland.

“The funds will go a long way to alleviate the effects of prevailing and future drought conditions and the negative impact of climate change in our country,” Mkhize said. – ANA