The EFF in the North West has called for a thorough investigation into how the R8 million earmarked for the victims of flooding in Deelpan, North West, was spent after the area was flooded last year.
Deelpan was flooded again recently following heavy rains in some parts of the country including in the North West and this prompted the EFF to start asking questions on how the money allocated to the area was used.
The government has declared a National State of Disaster to allow an intensive, coordinated response to the floods, which have stricken parts of seven of South Africa’s nine provinces.
The Presidency said the North West, Northern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu- Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo have been affected by flooding, brought on by heavy rainfall as a result of the La Nina weather phenomenon
EFF’s secretary in the North West, Papiki Babuile, said his party wanted evidence on how the relief money was used and he threatened to take the matter up to the Premier, Bushy Maape’s office.
“We are taking this matter to the North West Premier, Bushy Maape because both the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality and the provincial government gave us a report that they have spent money in that area.
“There are so many houses that are affected by the floods. There are people who were removed by the provincial government last year around July and August. But the government has not done anything to help those people, they are currently renting accommodation.
Babuile said the government must build people proper houses instead of RDPs should they be relocated, because they had built themselves dignified houses in Deelpan.
“The people are willing to relocate. But they are simply saying the government must build them proper houses, not RDP houses. The houses the government is going to build for these people must not be far from what they have built for themselves.Some of them have built beautiful houses so they don’t want RDP houses,” Babuile said.
The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality mayor, Khumalo Molefe, confirmed that the residents must be relocated to habitable land and removed from the area because it is a dam.
“Engineering and science-wise, we are advised that there is not much to do to alleviate the situation or resolve it conclusively either than relocating the people. We are also busy with assessments to see what kind of relief we can implement, while we are looking at the medium and long-term solutions.
“But I can tell you frankly and honestly that in the end the people of Deelpan must relocate. There is no other option,” said Molefe.
