Eastern Cape Government Faces R341 Million Housing Shortfall for Flood Victims

• The Eastern Cape government indicated that it faces a funding shortfall for the families displaced by the recent floods
• Thousands of people were left homeless after severe floods battered parts of the Eastern Cape, including Mthatha.
• The Eastern Cape Human Settlements Department said that it requires R461 million for temporary housing units

The Eastern Cape Human Settlements Department announced a shortfall in funding for the victims of the recent floods in the province. The Department said that it only has R120 million of the required R461 million.

What did the department say?

The Department said that it would need R461 million for temporary residential units to house the affected flood victims. Approximately 4,724 united are needed across six municipalities. During a provincial media briefing held in Mthatha, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department MEC Zolile Williams said that the department is ready to start with the TRUs.

Williams said that the department has experienced delays due to the community not wanting to accommodate flood victims in municipalities despite social facilitation efforts. The floods, which occurred in June, claimed 103 lives and displaced thousands of people.

R12,000 to each household

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane announced earlier that the government is providing R12,000 to each household affected by the deadly Eastern Cape floods to help them rebuild.

She also confirmed that two privately owned plots of land have been identified for temporary housing structures to accommodate over 5,000 displaced residents.

How much is the government releasing?

Cooperative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa announced on 7 July that emergency grants will assist flood-affected municipalities, with the Eastern Cape being the hardest hit. Damage from the disaster is estimated to exceed R6 billion. Hlabisa said strict accountability measures have been put in place to prevent the misuse of funds.

He explained that once funds are identified or reallocated by the department, municipalities, or provinces, disaster relief interventions will begin. The grants will be disbursed in three phases: the first on 11 July, the second a week later, and the final payment in August.

What you need to know about the Eastern Cape floods

• Deputy President Paul Mashatile promised that the government would assist the victims of the Eastern Cape floods.
• The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, called for the evacuation and relocation of residents affected by the floods to safer areas.
• The Eastern Cape death toll rose to 67 on 12 June, and the government declared a national disaster.
• The death toll shot up to 78 the following day as the crisis in the province deepened and more people were reported missing, and by 14 June, the death toll had risen to 86.
• Employees of the Gift of the Givers were targeted by extortionists during their work to assist flood-impacted victims.

DJ Black Coffee’s Foundation Raises R500K for Mthatha Flood Relief

In another article, Briefly News reported that several organisations, including The Black Coffee Foundation, have called for donations.

The foundation has since raised R500,000 in donations from several entities for a noble cause. Some of the entities include Nando’s, Hollywoodbets, Unilever and Sompire.

Source: Briefly News