Drought relief grant underspent by 98% while people on brink of starvation 

A written reply to a DA parliamentary question has revealed that only R8 million of a R352 million drought relief grant issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) was utilized by municipalities to alleviate drought affected areas. 

This flagrant disuse of the grant, equating to only 2%, has meant that proper support to drought-hit areas has been lacking. This will impact directly on people who are facing starvation and unemployment because of the drought, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. 

There needs to be an urgent and coordinated action between the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the DWS to mitigate this gross underspending to avert this rising to disaster levels.

It is equally concerning that today’s Portfolio Committee on DAFF – scheduled to consider the BRRR report -  was cancelled. The committee will now only consider the report after the Minister of Finance has made his statement. This is a clear indication that the Committee is not taking this issue seriously and doing what it can to make an impact immediately.

Even worse, today's reply to a DA Parliamentary question revealed that KwaZulu-Natal declared a state of provincial disaster in July 2014. The fact that more than a year has passed and starvation is still rife is appalling. Despite having enough time to rectify the effects of drought, the government has failed dismally.

I will accordingly be requesting a joint sitting of the portfolio committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Water and Sanitation to urgently investigate why only 2% of the funds allocated for this relief were spent and what comprehensive plans will be put in place to respond to the drought and prevent its knock-on effects such as job losses and long term food insecurity.

KwaZulu-Natal has been declared a disaster zone by NGO’s because the drought has resulted in food insecurity for almost 500 000 people. In real terms this sadly means that half a million people do not know where their next meal is coming from due to dying crops. It has also been reported that young children are at high risk of diarrhoea, which remains one of the biggest killers of children under five in the country which will only be exacerbated by this drought and compounded by government’s inaction.

Less rain means less crops, which translates into higher food prices, job losses and slow economic growth which this grant was earmarked to mitigate. 

The lives, livelihoods and jobs of rural communities are at serious risk. Government’s failure to intervene thus far in curbing the effects of the drought is unacceptable. As such Parliament has a duty to intervene. The DA will do everything possible to make sure this happens. 

Issued by Annette Steyn, DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, 20 October 2015