Corruption Watch executive director Karam Singh on Tuesday called for “absolute transparency” and full disclosure of how R1-billion in flood relief funds are being distributed.

The Human Settlements Department in KwaZulu-Natal allocated the money to assist 40 000 displaced residents whose homes were damaged in the floods.

Singh said the need to monitor the disbursement of funds was as critical as ever.

“Experience has clearly shown the vulnerability of our procurement systems to corruption in times of crisis, if one considers the rampant corruption during the Covid-19 pandemic. The immediacy of the situation, and the precarious position of so many KZN residents require fast and efficient use of resources to meet the most basic needs of water, food, shelter. There must be absolute transparency and full disclosure of how these funds are being distributed, ensuring that they reach the communities for whom they are intended,” he added.

He said widespread perceptions of corruption in the eThekwini municipality over the years had not instilled confidence in local government structures, or its commitment to addressing the needs of the most vulnerable communities in the city. 

Singh explained that the best way to ensure that funds are correctly allocated and spent was to have systems in place that allow government, oversight bodies and civil society to monitor the allocations and spending.

He stressed that for effective monitoring to take place there needed to be transparency in the system by way of publication of the information.

“The Auditor-General must be activated to do real-time audits of spending, in a potentially effective and appropriate preventative measure that should be used in this instance,” he suggested.