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They Came, They Saw, They Did NOTHING

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[Listen to a soundbite from Retief Odendaal MPL on the Kariega Flood Disaster disaster]

Dear Editor

Nearly two months after a flash flood caused damage estimated at R1,1 billion in Kariega, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has been unable to commence with reinstatement work or assist flood victims.

Not only were electrical, sewerage, water and road infrastructure destroyed during the flash flood on 1 June, displaced families are also still awaiting the much-promised temporary shelters.

Hundreds of families who have suffered damages to private property are also anxiously awaiting information as to whether they will receive a helping hand from the government.

Today I was joined by DA EC Provincial Chairperson, Yusuf Cassim MPL, and NMB Ward 48 councillor, DA Cllr Franay van de Linde, in conducting an oversight inspection in Westhill in Kariega, a community that suffered extensive losses. (See pictures here, here and here)

Commitments to the disaster-stricken communities from various high-level delegations, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, have also thus far yielded very little apart from promises.

Apart from dismal disaster communications by an inept municipal administration, the main problem is seemingly the fact that the municipality does not know how to deal with the disaster.

That is why they are awaiting disaster relief before they want to commence with any reinstatement work in Kariega.

This makes no sense since NMB has already submitted a proposal to National Treasury for disaster relief – a process that can take many more months to finalise. In the meanwhile, NMB must follow the examples of other Cities where natural disasters necessitated them to make budget amendments to fix their infrastructure.

What makes the aforesaid even more unacceptable is the fact that the Metro has severely underspent its budgets.

Last week the Metro indicated that it only managed to spend 69% of its capital grant funding during the 2023/24 financial year – after it already forfeited an amount of R430 million to Treasury because of woeful spending midyear.

CoGTA in the Eastern Cape is also failing in its duties in providing much needed support and leadership to the Metro during this crisis. They should play a pivotal role in providing oversight over provincial and local disasters and have done little in providing support to the Metro in this regard.

Two weeks ago, the DA wrote to Premier Mabuyane in a desperate appeal for intervention. He has not heeded this call and now the DA will escalate its appeal for urgent intervention in Kariega to President Ramaphosa, as well as to Dr Bongani Elias Sithole, who is the deputy director general and head of the National Disaster Management Centre.

Our DA caucus will escalate the matter in council highlighting how immediate funding can be made available by the municipality.

The DA will continue to fight for the people of Kariega. Together we can get NMB working again.

Regards

Retief Odendaal MPL
DA EC Shadow MEC for CoGTA

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