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The Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery has called on political leadership in municipalities affected by the flood disasters to act on audit reports tabled by the Office of the Auditor-General on the flood disaster relief and recovery measures.
 
The committee today began its first day of the oversight visit in the Gauteng Province where it received a briefing from the Premier of the province Mr Panyaza Lesufi on the interventions made by the province to offer relief and recovery measures to those affected by the floods that occurred in the province earlier this year. The committee also received a briefing from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AG), Ms Tsakani Maluleke, on the 2022 flood relief funds audit.
 
The audit focused on national and provincial government departments and their entities in the context of the Public Finance Management Act reporting cycle. Among the key findings were delivery failures, slow response and non-compliance with procurement requirements. The AG indicated that the ability of government to respond to the flood disaster was inadequate from impact assessment to delivery of relief. This has resulted in residents and businesses in affected areas continuing to experience hardship.
 
The committee has commended the AG for the audit report and has implored the political leadership of the local government, in particular, to preempt, plan and budget adequately for disaster and reduce risks to disasters. Furthermore, the committee has appreciated the forward-looking approach taken by the Gauteng Provincial Government in planning for disasters in the province.
 
The committee registered its disappointment with the City of Tshwane’s political leadership’s continuous refusal to cooperate with it regarding the February 2023 flood disasters.
 
The committee has urged the provincial leadership to ensure that the municipalities governed by coalitions are given attention to ensure that they are effective in instituting flood relief and recovery measures. The committee believes that political leadership is crucial in ensuring that those who are responsible act on the audit outcomes.
 
Parliament is currently processing the Climate Change Bill. The Bill has been passed by the National Assembly and is currently in the National Council of Provinces. A large component of the regulations that will flow from the Bill will point to provinces and municipalities and their roles and responsibilities. The regulations will also deal with issues of disaster management and the mechanisms that must be put in place.
 
The report submitted by the AG to the committee this morning as part of the outcomes of the live audits that have been done with the committee over the last two years will assist to shape and inform the climate change regulations that will be formulated from the legislation currently being processed by Parliament.
 
The committee will be preparing a legacy report for the 7th Parliament on the issues that it dealt with during its lifespan. The forward-looking approach started by the Gauteng province as stated by Premier Lesufi is crucial for the government so that it can plan and budget better. The very innovative approach of incorporating permanent search and rescue teams so that when a new disaster happens there is no need to establish a new team is a good practice that needs to be encouraged.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Co-chairpersons of the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery, Cedric Frolick