Parliament, Tuesday, 13 June 2023 – The Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery today welcomed the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) Real-Time Audit Report on the second phase of the flood relief funds allocated to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC).
The committee was informed by the Auditor-General (AG) that this report focuses on water supply, water infrastructure, sanitation, roads and the provision of building materials to beneficiaries whose dwellings were destroyed by the flood disaster in KZN. In EThekwini, the AG followed up on work to the water supply, as it was a big feature of the initial real-time audit report. The EC audit focused on infrastructure-related matters concerning roads, bridges and water, particularly in the OR Tambo District.
The AG noted the slow response to the disaster, from the impact assessment to the delivery of services. The AG also noted that these initiatives continue to be implemented in environments where internal controls are weak. The pre-existing deficiencies in terms of systems, process controls, lack of capacity and inadequate intergovernmental cooperation is still prevalent.
The AG also found delays in the spending of grant funding and delivery failures due to the ineffective monitoring of contractors. Ineffective and inefficient water-tankering services and non-compliance with procurement processes are also still a problem.
The committee noted that parts of this report are also in the broader report previously tabled in Parliament by the AG and which is currently being considered by various portfolio committees. The committee believes that this second-phase report will empower it when it conducts its oversight visits to the specific areas, along with the matters of emphasis raised by the AG for the committee to consider. The report will also equip the committee to interact at this level when they conduct oversight visits to the various affected areas.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CO-CHAIRPERSONS OF THE AD HOC JOINT COMMITTEE ON FLOOD DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY, MR CEDRIC FROLICK AND MR JOMO NYAMBI.
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Name: Ms Faith Ndenze
Parliamentary Communication Services
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Email: fndenze@parliament.gov.za
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