Cape Town - The Parliamentary ad hoc committee on the floods in KwaZulu-Natal has promised to descend on the province soon to monitor the relief measures and proper use of funds.
Co-chairperson of the committee Cedrick Frolick on Friday said they will be in KZN and the Eastern Cape soon to ensure work was done on the ground.
This was after the opposition warned that any further delays getting to KZN would have an impact on the people who needed help.
The IFP, DA and ATM also said they want strict monitoring of the use of money after it was revealed that R1 billion would be spent.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised that more money would be channelled to the province. Deputy President David Mabuza also promised in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday that the National Treasury will cover the shortfall if the funds for relief are not sufficient.
It has been estimated that R17 billion would be needed to rebuild roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
DA MP Dean Macpherson said they also need to keep track of the use of funds as reconstruction has begun, but they did not know if the funds were going to the right places.
He said the people in eThekwini and other parts of the province still did not have water, electricity and were living in halls. He called on the ad hoc committee on KZN floods to be in the province next week.
But Frolick said there would not be delays in conducting an oversight visit to the affected areas.
“You can be assured, honourable members, that there won’t be any delays in trying to get there. It’s not for weeks to come before we go there,” said Frolick.
IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the ad hoc committee needed to be in the province to do its work.
The communities wanted to see the boots on the ground, he said.
Vuyo Zungula of the ATM said the presence of members of the national legislature in the affected communities would rebuild the trust in government and parliament.
He said they needed to get to the communities soon.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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