DURBAN - OPPOSITION parties in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature want strict measures put in place to ensure that the money set aside to deal with the floods disaster is not looted.
Some parties said they did not trust the ANC to manage the funds on its own in an honest manner and wanted an oversight structure in place.
They were speaking during a sitting of the provincial legislature yesterday, when the premier, Sihle Zikalala, addressed the members on the state of disaster, its impact and the way forward.
Last week, heavy rains caused extensive damage to infrastructure and houses. More than 400 people across the province were killed and many homes were destroyed, leaving thousands destitute.
The province could receive billions of rand to rebuild after the national government declared a national state of disaster.
The ANC, however, took exception to the tone of the discussion and accusations from the opposition, and accused the parties of using the disaster for political grandstanding.
In his address, Zikalala announced that measures were being put in place to deal with any act of theft or corruption.
“We have employed all measures to ensure transparency and accountability. We have been in touch with the office of the public protector, the Human Rights Commission, to ensure proactive assessment and monitoring to ensure that funds meant for this intervention are not abused.
“We will seek to put in place several measures to ensure we protect the funds. All emergency procurement should be fair, transparent and competitive.
“We are going to tighten control mechanisms against improper conduct. We can also confirm that the Office of the Auditor-General will work closely with all departments to ensure that the resources are utilised effectively,” he said.
Zikalala said: “Only those in denial will reject that for a number of years, our province has shown clear signs of vulnerability due to climate change and global warming. The destruction of property and loss of life must galvanise all of us to treat climate change as a national and provincial emergency.”
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa said civil servants should go all out to deliver to the affected communities and not seek to line their pockets.
“The hard reality is that the announcement of the billions of rand to be injected into KwaZulu-Natal as relief measures, instead of being received with gratitude, was received with cynicism as many people believe this money will be stolen by those in power with their friends.
“This is a time when the civil service of our province has to perform beyond the call of duty. It is not the time to be looking at ‘what is in for me’, or eyeing enormous profits at the expense of people suffering. It is time to prove we have a conscience,” he said.
Hlabisa said the IFP would be vigilant in ensuring that the money was used prudently.
He also touched on climate change. “The unfortunate (part) this occasion has shown is that the issue of climate change is no longer a gospel yet to come but an occurrence that is with us.”
EFF leader in KwaZulu-Natal Vusi Khoza said: “We are proposing that a multi party committee be established that will oversee the expenditure of disaster relief funds. We cannot leave it in the hands of ANC politicians and officials that are ANC deployees. Wherever there is ANC, there will be looting,” he said.
ANC MPL and MEC for Human Settlements, Jomo Sibiya, said some political parties were abusing the crisis to grandstand
“We all agree that not a single cent should not be accounted for.”
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