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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL) will write to the Speaker, Susanna Dantjie, requesting that an Ad Hoc Committee in terms of Rule 186 of the NWPL Standing Rules is established to exercise closer scrutiny into the Provincial Government’s response to the Deelpan Disaster Relief and Recovery.   

The request follows an appropriation of R54,9 million from the Human Settlements Development Grant towards the Deelpan disaster by Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) MEC, Lenah Miga, announced during her departmental budget vote speech last week.    

Previous experience has shown that this government can loot even during a tragedy. Therefore, we must leave nothing to chance. In the North West, government officials and ANC cadres managed to loot even from Covid-19 relief funds, PPEs were hidden from beneficiaries and contract prices were inflated, as was revealed in the SIU report into PPE Procurement.    

An oversight taken to Deelpan earlier this month indicated that government departments are all over the area, yet nothing has improved by their daily presence at the disaster site. There appears to be no coordination in responding to the crisis as each department seems to be operating independently.    

The visit last week by a delegation of Deputy Ministers, who were apparently dissatisfied with the poor progress of rescue and relief efforts in the area, indicates a necessity for such an Ad Hoc Committee.   

The Ad Hoc Committee must, among others, assess the overall impact of the damage, response and relief measures by the government and oversee the response and implementation of government relief measures.    

The flooding in Deelpan and surrounding areas resulted in the loss of 1 life while displacing more than 170 families and left buildings damaged, with some residents still housed at the community hall.   

The DA believes that normality must urgently be restored in Deelpan and that residents are given the support to rebuild their lives. We also believe that government must account for each and every cent utilised from the public purse.  

Issued by Freddy Sonakile - DANW Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs