Minister Simelane outlines new housing strategies for flood-affected communities

MINISTER of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, has confirmed that the government has completed its impact assessment on the recent floods, specifically focusing on the disaster in Limpopo and Mpumalanga earlier this year.

- HOPE NTANZI

MINISTER Thembi Simelane says the government has completed flood impact assessments and is shifting from temporary accommodation to permanent housing solutions to address South Africa's disaster recovery efforts. HENK KRUGER Independent Newspapers

(HENK KRUGER Independent Newspapers)

Simelane was responding to a question raised by ANC's MP Baakiseng Mabebo in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) regarding the impact of recent floods. Mabebo had asked whether an impact assessment of the recent floods in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal had already been conducted; if not, why not; and if so, sought clarity on the associated cost implications.

Simelane assured members that despite the assessment being finalised, challenges continue to arise as the situation evolves, especially with the recent heavy rains in Limpopo over the weekend, which led to further infrastructure damage. Simelane elaborated on the steps taken by the government, noting that the disaster grant system has been allocated to national authorities, and provinces have been granted the flexibility to use between 1% to 3% of the funds for emergency responses.

However, she acknowledged that the unpredictable nature of disasters, such as the floods in January, makes ongoing assessment critical. In particular, Simelane mentioned that her team is actively looking into areas where provinces are still struggling with the aftermath of the floods, highlighting that the assessment process is ongoing, despite the report being considered "complete".

"We've undertaken assessments in affected areas like Tshakhuma, where families have been living too close to rivers. We are now looking into relocating these households, a measure that is not new but has become even more urgent in light of recent disasters," said Simelane.