Cape Town - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, intends to hold a meeting with all Khoi and San leaders from across the country.
Hlabisa briefed the Portfolio Committee on Cogta on a number of outstanding issues on Tuesday evening.
He said the department earmarked December 23 for the meeting, but said that due to the proximity to Christmas Day, the department would rely on the advice and cooperation from the leaders on whether the meeting could proceed or be held on a different date.
“We need to engage all leaders involved in matters of Khoi and San and this meeting, we agreed that the ideal place could be a Free State, if you look at proximity of where you’ll be getting leaders coming from. We can still consider the venue upon engagement.”
He said the department was open to contributions and input on which leaders should be invited to attend.
Over the uneven distribution of disaster funding to provinces, he said the department collected information and submitted this to the National Treasury.
The total amount requested from the Treasury was R11.9 billion for floods that occurred in June, September, and December 2023; and January, June, and July 2024 in the Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, Limpopo, and Free State.
“As we all know, all other ministries do not decide on the final outcome or allocation by the National Treasury. The final response by the National Treasury was the approval of R1.6bn,” he said.
“When we met as a department, to get a full briefing and the implication of the R1.6bn, it transpired that the R1.6bn in total was not for all provinces but R683.9 million was for municipal disaster recovery grant for four provinces, which is Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga.
“Whilst R947m was allocated for the Western Cape for the provincial disaster recovery grant.
“The other provinces did not receive anything in relation to the provincial disaster recovery grant.”
He added that the Treasury was working on another programme to address the “abnormal situation”.
Providing an update on the roll-over project with Eskom electricity meters, 94.7% of meters have been reset with 5.3% outstanding.
“The total number of prepaid meters is 4.1 million and the total number reset is 3.8 million, which leaves 216 501 meters outstanding.
“The municipalities are now currently involved in a process of trying to assist those people who had to get new meters because the closing date could not be extended.. and those who have problems will have to visit the offices of municipalities and get proper assistance.”
In terms of the government’s response to food poisoning and the registration of spaza shops and retail businesses, he said the department agreed that the classification of a national disaster as opposed to a declaration, is sufficient a response.
“Having engaged all stakeholders, we are of the common understanding that classification is enough to try to contain the crisis…”
A request has been made to the National Treasury to employ ten health inspectors per district.
“This will be ten health inspectors times 52 districts in the country in order to support the municipalities with no sufficient capacity to do inspections in terms of compliance once the process of registration has come to an end,” Hlabisa said.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za