Question NW2400 to the Minister of Human Settlements

Reply:

(a) The final consolidated application from both KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements and eThekwini Metropolitan municipality to access funds from the Provincial Emergency Housing Grant to provide 4983 Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) was received by the Department of Human Settlements on 5 May 2022.

(b) Due to the limited annual allocation for 2022/23 of funds in the Provincial Emergency Housing Grant (R325,8 million) and Municipal Emergency Housing Grant (R175,4 million) both the province and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality were advised to reprioritise funding from the Human Settlements Development Grant and the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant. Concurrently, eThekwini Metropolitan municipality was requested to reprioritise the Urban Settlements Development Grant and the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant. These requests were meant to ensure that both the Province and eThekwini Metropolitan municipality is able to expeditiously assist floods victims whilst the application is being processed.

(i)The application was approved by this Department for the provision of 4983 Temporary Residential Units at a cost of R342 million. However, National Treasury could only approve an amount of R325,8 million which is the entire 2022/23 annual allocation of the Provincial Emergency Housing Grant. Furthermore, as the 2022 Division of Revenue Bill (DoRB) is not presently enacted, only R140.003 million could be transferred as the first tranche, in compliance with section 27 of the 2021 Division of Revenue Act. The second tranche can be made after the 2022 DoRB has been enacted.

(ii)The first tranche was disbursed to the Province on 17 June 2022.