Question NW2446 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

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04 December 2020 - NW2446

Profile picture: Steyn, Ms A

Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

What (a) total amount has her department received in appropriations for drought relief measures from the National Treasury since 1 April 2016 and (b) are the details of how the drought relief appropriations were used in each case?

Reply:

The total amount received by the Department of Water and Sanitation in appropriations for drought relief measures from the National Treasury since 1 April 2016 to date is appended as Annexure A. The table below provides a summary:

a) Total amount received in appropriations for drought relief measures from the National Treasury

b) Details of how the drought relief appropriations were used in each case

Financial year 2016/17

No allocation

Financial year 2017/18 a total of R541 million was allocated

Water tankering

An amount of R500 million was received as additional budget in respect of unforeseeable and unavoidable expenditure for the implementation of:

  • R200 million for the Butterworth Emergency Water Supply Scheme
  • R300 million for upgrading the capacity of the Thukela Goudertrouw Transfer Scheme (R300 million).

Additional funding was used to address unplanned and unforeseen emergency drought interventions related to the water crisis experienced in Butterworth and Mnquma Local Municipality in the Amathole District. The envisaged interventions entailed the design, construction and commissioning of a raw water rising main between Tsomo River and the catchment area to Xilinxa dam as a short term solution to address the water crisis in Butterworth.

Financial years 2018/19:

R1  billion was allocated

Conditional grants transferred to municipalities, including water tankering

Financial years 2019/20:

R473 million was allocated

The Schedule 6B allocation of the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) and Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) was earmarked for drought emergency interventions, drilling of new boreholes and resuscitations of old boreholes, water tankering, stock watering and project management fees.

Financial years 2020/21 a total of R972 million was allocated

The department has reprioritised the total amount of R666million from both Schedule 6B allocation of the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) and Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) towards drought emergency interventions such as drilling of new boreholes and resuscitations of old boreholes, water tankering, stock watering and project management fees.

The amount of R307 million was conditionally approved by the Minister of Finance, for inclusion in the second Adjustments Appropriation Bill, 2020, as roll-over of unspent funds from the 2019/20 financial year to the 2020/21 financial year for the country-wide COVID-19 and drought emergency interventions. The amount of R307 million is additional budget to the earmarked funds of R666 million towards drought emergency interventions.

The amount of R307 million has been allocated budget to the Northern Cape region through Schedule 6B of the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) as part of the presidential commitments made on drought emergency interventions.