‘No room for corruption’ – Ramaphosa on funds availed for KZN floods

In KZN, heavy rainfall has left behind a trail of destruction in recent days, prompting government to declare a provincial state of disaster. More than 4 000 homes and other infrastructure have been damaged or washed away. At least 443 people have lost their lives while close to 50 people remain unaccounted for at this point.

The National Treasury has set aside a minimum of R1 billion for areas ravaged by the floods in the province, which is still recovering from the economic damage spurred by the July riots. There has been growing concern about the availing of funds possible giving rise to corruption once again, as was the case at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when government unduly awarded billions of rands worth of contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE).

KZN FLOODS: RAMAPHOSA TO SET UP ‘OVERSIGHT STRUCTURE’ FOR FUNDS

President Cyril Ramaphosa has also announced that the Solidarity Fund will be roped in to help with the provision resources, including financial, particularly to flood-ravaged areas in KZN and other parts of the country affected by destructive weather. The Solidarity Fund was established at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has also helped in responding to the aftermath of the July unrests.

“It will be critical that all the resources that are mobilised are used for their intended purposes and reach the intended recipients. There can be no room for corruption. There can be no room for mismanagement or fraud of any sort. Learning from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are drawing together various stakeholders to be part of an oversight structure to ensure that funds disbursed in response to the disaster are properly accounted for”

President Cyril Ramaphosa