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13 March 2026
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Four provinces allocated R151.3 million for disaster recovery efforts
Four provinces that have been severely damaged by natural disasters in the recent past are set to share R151.3 million for their responses to the devastation. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has announced adjustments to existing allocations to national departments and provinces in the 2025/26 financial year. He stated that the allocation of the provincial disaster response grant was necessary to KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West, following severe weather and flooding damages experienced by these parts of the country.
“In compliance with Section 25 of the Division of Revenue Act, 2025, the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs via the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) allocates R22m to KwaZulu-Natal, R53.3m to Limpopo, R49m to Mpumalanga, and R27m to North West from the unallocated provincial disaster response grant,” reads Godongwana’s notice.
During his Budget Speech, the minister said that among the government’s spending priorities is a proposed R5 billion in the contingency reserve to cater to disasters declared since the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in November last year.
Godongwana also added R1.5bn to the provincial roads maintenance grant in 2026/27 to fund the carry-through costs of the disasters that occurred between April 2024 and June 2025.
Before the Budget Speech, he increased the allocation to municipalities and provincial governments by nearly R2.5bn to fund the recovery and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by disasters that were classified in March last year.
Six provinces – Eastern and Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West – shared about R1.54bn.
Affected Limpopo municipalities shared R407.15m, while KwaZulu-Natal municipalities will receive R393.8m, R90m in Mpumalanga, and R65m in the North West, according to the National Treasury.
The NDMC has urged communities to be empowered about different hazards in their localities, which, when not managed properly, will result in disaster incidents.
According to the centre, in order to prevent and reduce disaster risk, all organs of state must develop and conduct public awareness programmes in line with their legislative mandates.
Municipalities must develop and enforce by-laws that regulate and promote a safe and healthy environment for their communities, and ensure that they are aware of such by-laws and the implications of not complying with the by-laws.
For example, the centre has called for the practice of building houses without approval of the town planning section to be discouraged, as such development may be in contravention of the building codes.
In addition, littering must be discouraged as refuse will result in blocked drainage pipes, which will exacerbate flooding.
Source: IOL
“In compliance with Section 25 of the Division of Revenue Act, 2025, the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs via the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) allocates R22m to KwaZulu-Natal, R53.3m to Limpopo, R49m to Mpumalanga, and R27m to North West from the unallocated provincial disaster response grant,” reads Godongwana’s notice.
During his Budget Speech, the minister said that among the government’s spending priorities is a proposed R5 billion in the contingency reserve to cater to disasters declared since the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in November last year.
Godongwana also added R1.5bn to the provincial roads maintenance grant in 2026/27 to fund the carry-through costs of the disasters that occurred between April 2024 and June 2025.
Before the Budget Speech, he increased the allocation to municipalities and provincial governments by nearly R2.5bn to fund the recovery and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by disasters that were classified in March last year.
Six provinces – Eastern and Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West – shared about R1.54bn.
Affected Limpopo municipalities shared R407.15m, while KwaZulu-Natal municipalities will receive R393.8m, R90m in Mpumalanga, and R65m in the North West, according to the National Treasury.
The NDMC has urged communities to be empowered about different hazards in their localities, which, when not managed properly, will result in disaster incidents.
According to the centre, in order to prevent and reduce disaster risk, all organs of state must develop and conduct public awareness programmes in line with their legislative mandates.
Municipalities must develop and enforce by-laws that regulate and promote a safe and healthy environment for their communities, and ensure that they are aware of such by-laws and the implications of not complying with the by-laws.
For example, the centre has called for the practice of building houses without approval of the town planning section to be discouraged, as such development may be in contravention of the building codes.
In addition, littering must be discouraged as refuse will result in blocked drainage pipes, which will exacerbate flooding.
Source: IOL