KZN still waiting for Treasury to cough up R1 billion flood relief funds

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is still waiting on the government to disburse the disaster relief funds a month after floods hit the province.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, now former KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, Sipho Hlomuka said the province was still in talks with Treasury on the R1 billion that has been allocated as relief.

“We are told that R1 billion has been allocated to KZN, we have not yet received that money, but we are working with National Treasury and provincial treasury on the processes that need to be followed so that the money is allocated to relevant sector departments to municipalities,” Hlomuka said.

Hlomuka said provincial departments had reprioritized their budgets following the floods.

“We will be guided by the national government, but I am aware that we need to reprioritize our budget as well to talk to the disaster. All departments affected by this disaster, they need to reprioritize the budget to speak to the disaster,” the former MEC said.

Last week, KZN premier Sihle Zikalala announced his budget for the 2022-2023 financial year.

He further indicated that there was R25 billion in damages to both public and private infrastructure across the province, but noted that assessments were still ongoing.

R1-billion of Disaster Relief Aid that National Treasury said would be allocated to KZN following the #KZNFloods is yet to be handed to the province – a month after the floods hit.@kzncogta says damage to infrastructure amounts to R25-billion@Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/wW2dVr2CIq

— Karinda Jagmohan (@Karinda_J) May 11, 2022

Hlomuka on Thursday was announced as the new deputy director-general of the local government support and interventions management at national Department of Cogta.

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