Cape Town - The Western Cape is to receive funding from the National Treasury and the National Disaster Management Centre to the tune of R974 million towards drought recovery programmes.
MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape Anton Bredell welcomed the allocation, saying the bulk of the funds would be set aside for drought alleviation and drought combating programs across the province.
“In addition, the funding will allow for the province to recover from the severe storms which occurred in June 2017 as well as the resultant and devastating fires which occurred in Knysna and Bitou Municipalities at the time,” Bredell said.
The bulk of the drought funding - R553 million - would be allocated to the City of Cape Town for drought alleviation projects, and specifically for the Cape Flats, Table Mountain Group and Atlantis Aquifer projects.
Other disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction projects that have been funded includes:
* R25.8m to the Provincial Department of Education for the construction and rehabilitation of 22 schools in the province following the storms and fires in 2017
* R28.9m to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for emergency boreholes in the Theewaterskloof region
* R30m to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for drought alleviation in the Oudtshoorn Municipality
* R63.6m for other drought related projects across the province, allocated to the National Department of Environmental Affairs
* R170m to the Provincial Department of Agriculture for livestock feed for farmers
* R41.9m to the Provincial Department of Agriculture for the Landcare Program which includes alien clearing and managing irrigation channels
* R54m was allocated for environmental rehabilitation and stabilisation projects in Knysna which will reduce the risk of fires as well as mud slides during heavy rains
Dam levels in the province continue to recover with the average level for dams across the Western Cape currently at 66% (2017: 36%). Bredell said the Cape Town dams system now sits at 76% full, "an incredible improvement over the past four months".
Graphic: Supplied/Western Cape Government
“The province is grateful for the welcome relief but we would urge that water use remains at the low levels we have seen over the past few months. From the province’s side, we continue to monitor the situation.”
@TheCapeArgus