Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa. (@GovernmentZA/X)
The department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs has disbursed R1.444 billion in disaster relief funds to five provinces for 2025 to repair infrastructure damaged by natural disasters including floods and fires.
The money covers more than 60 municipalities and provincial sector departments in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Free State, Cooperative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa told a media briefing on Monday.
“This money is intended, as it has been transferred to these municipalities, to immediately bring relief and also allow the municipalities to undertake the reconstruction of the damage to the structures that were destroyed by the floods in the previous years,” he said.
“While climate change has exacerbated some of these risks, we also confront challenges stemming from unsustainable practices and inadequate planning. Acknowledging these factors allows us to pursue proactive measures and solutions that can lessen future risks.”
The disbursements included R149 million to the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo in February for the repair of damaged infrastructure, and R231 million to Limpopo, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga in early March for the same purpose. Another R669 million was transferred to municipalities in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Hlabisa said for the “unavoidable and unforeseeable” allocation this year, the National Disaster Management Centre and affected provinces had asked the treasury for additional funding. The Western Cape had received an initial allocation of R947 million in February 2025 while other provinces were being considered.
“These provinces will receive the consideration in terms of the unavoidable and unforeseeable allocation immediately in the month of May 2025, once we have passed through the process of the new budget for the new financial year,” Hlabisa said.
Since December, 40 people in South Africa have died from natural disasters, including 24 deaths in KwaZulu-Natal during floods.
The National Disaster Management Centre classifies the severe weather conditions including thunderstorms, veld fires, floods and heatwaves, as national disasters under the Disaster Management Act.
“These classifications enable prompt intervention but the Disaster Management Act also allows the minister to declare a national state of disaster if special circumstances arise,” Hlabisa said. “It is important to clarify that these issues have not yet been declared a national state of disaster. They are currently classified but not yet declared.”
Some municipalities were misusing the money meant for infrastructure repairs, the minister said.
“Diversion from the original allocation when money was allocated for a bridge, a municipality decides to use the money for salaries. Or when money was allocated for a 3km road, the municipality decides to spend the money on one 1km,” he said.
“If any diversion or mismanagement occurs in the monies that have been transferred to our municipalities, consequence management will follow.”
He said municipalities must submit monthly and quarterly reports to show what work was done and how much it cost, with a bank statement. Money that had not been used must be returned to the department.
