The Western Cape cabinet recently applied to the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to have a provincial disaster declared due to recent damages suffered from floods between 14 and 19 June.
The cabinet was presented with a consolidated damage report compiled by Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.
After taking into account insured damages, damages not associated with the flooding, and the ability to reprioritise funding within existing budgets, unfunded damages have been calculated to be R703,3 million, according to the report.
“The declaration of a provincial disaster by the NDMC will allow us to approach the national government for funding support, as the scope of damages are beyond the ability of the provincial fiscus,” Bredell said.
Unfunded agricultural damage of R500 million is the largest amount, with the department of agriculture which has reprioritised R18,6 million to assist the sector.
According to Ivan Meyer, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, he has gained first-hand experience of the “devastating impact” the floods had on parts of the West Coast, Cape Winelands and Overberg,
“The damage to agriculture irrigation, fencing, orchards, vineyards, crops as well as the damage caused by the removal of sediment upstream and which was later deposited downstream in the rivers and riparian zone was extensive. The decision to approach the national government is therefore welcomed.”
Unfunded damages to provincial infrastructure have been calculated to be R181,8 million.
The department of infrastructure has reprioritised R4,6 million from its appropriated budget for the 2023-’24 financial year to address immediate repairs to critical infrastructure.
Unfunded damages to municipal infrastructure, after reprioritised budgets was calculated to be R21,5 million.
This includes damages of R435 000 in Drakenstein, R4,4 million in Overstrand, R1,4 million in Theewaterskloof, R350 000 in Swartland, R8 million in the Cederberg, R5,6 million in Stellenbosch and R1,4 million in the City of Cape Town.
