Minister of Cooperative Governance and Conventional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa. (@GovernmentZA/X)
The division of cooperative governance and conventional affairs has disbursed R1.444 billion in catastrophe aid funds to 5 provinces for 2025 to restore infrastructure broken by pure disasters together with floods and fires.
The cash covers greater than 60 municipalities and provincial sector departments within the Japanese Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Free State, Cooperative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa informed a media briefing on Monday.
“This cash is meant, because it has been transferred to those municipalities, to instantly convey aid and likewise enable the municipalities to undertake the reconstruction of the injury to the buildings that have been destroyed by the floods within the earlier years,” he mentioned.
“Whereas local weather change has exacerbated a few of these dangers, we additionally confront challenges stemming from unsustainable practices and insufficient planning. Acknowledging these elements permits us to pursue proactive measures and options that may reduce future dangers.”
The disbursements included R149 million to the Japanese Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo in February for the restore of broken infrastructure, and R231 million to Limpopo, Japanese Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga in early March for a similar objective. One other R669 million was transferred to municipalities within the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Japanese Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Hlabisa mentioned for the “unavoidable and unforeseeable” allocation this yr, the Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Centre and affected provinces had requested the treasury for added funding. The Western Cape had obtained an preliminary allocation of R947 million in February 2025 whereas different provinces have been being thought of.
“These provinces will obtain the consideration by way of the unavoidable and unforeseeable allocation instantly within the month of Could 2025, as soon as we’ve handed via the method of the brand new finances for the brand new monetary yr,” Hlabisa mentioned.
Since December, 40 individuals in South Africa have died from pure disasters, together with 24 deaths in KwaZulu-Natal throughout floods.
The Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Centre classifies the extreme climate circumstances together with thunderstorms, veld fires, floods and heatwaves, as nationwide disasters underneath the Catastrophe Administration Act.
“These classifications allow immediate intervention however the Catastrophe Administration Act additionally permits the minister to declare a nationwide state of catastrophe if particular circumstances come up,” Hlabisa mentioned. “It is very important make clear that these points haven’t but been declared a nationwide state of catastrophe. They’re presently categorized however not but declared.”
Some municipalities have been misusing the cash meant for infrastructure repairs, the minister mentioned.
“Diversion from the unique allocation when cash was allotted for a bridge, a municipality decides to make use of the cash for salaries. Or when cash was allotted for a 3km street, the municipality decides to spend the cash on one 1km,” he mentioned.
“If any diversion or mismanagement happens within the monies which have been transferred to our municipalities, consequence administration will observe.”
He mentioned municipalities should submit month-to-month and quarterly experiences to point out what work was carried out and the way a lot it price, with a financial institution assertion. Cash that had not been used should be returned to the division.