Durban - The IFP has welcomed the announcement of a national state of disaster in KwaZulu-Natal after deadly floods last week.
In his nation address on Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that after the cabinet met earlier in the day and also received weather forecast that more rain was also expected to hit the Free State and North West provinces, it then decided to move the disaster declaration from provincial to national.
The president said this would enable the mobilisation of more resources to help rebuild damaged infrastructure adding that the Solidarity Fund had been roped in to help release more funds to help with restoration of damaged infrastructure.
He said that the help will come in three phases with the first focusing on humanitarian relief which would be followed by the stabilization and restoration of services then rebuilding of infrastructure and houses which he said would begin by the end of this week.
The president also warned the so called tenderpreneurs who waiting to take advantage of the situation and enrich themselves at the expense of suffering people, saying that government will ensure that each and every cent would be accounted for.
"There will be no room for corruption. We will work with engineers and architects who will quantify the extent of the damage of infrastructure and also asses work before we pay," said the president.
He said the Department of Human Settlements officials were already on the ground assessing the damage adding that although the assessment has not yet been completed but it was clear the cost to repair would run into billions.
On Tuesday Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma would further explain the details and meaning of the national state of disaster. More than 400 people have died in the province since the beginning of the flooding last week and more than 60 people were still missing.
The president also said the disaster disrupted supply of fuel and essential services. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga is also coming to the province on Tuesday to asses the damage which the president said has affected more than 600 schools and 270 000 pupils.
Following Ramaphosa’s announcement IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said in light of the widespread and devastating flooding on the East Coast of South Africa, the IFP appreciates the need to declare a national state of disaster.
He said that in addition to the extensive work that is underway to restore basic services such as water, electricity, and sanitation, we welcome the government’s efforts to provide humanitarian relief the party further welcomed the three-phase strategy, to deal with the immediate, medium-term, and long-term relief and recovery measures.
“We call on all government departments involved to step up to the plate, and to ensure that all assessments needed prior to reconstruction, recovery and rehabilitation work be conducted swiftly and accurately, to restore much-needed infrastructure as soon as possible,” he said.
Daily News