Government Releases Grant Funds Worth Billions for Disaster Victims

• The Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said the government is releasing funds for disaster victims
• He said billions will be made available to municipalities that were hardest hit by the floods in April
• Victims of the floods in the Eastern Cape will also benefit, and South Africans discussed the fund

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a journalist at Briefly News in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — The government has rolled out billions to support municipalities affected by floods in 2025. South Africans were not certain that communities in need would receive the financial assistance.

How much is the government releasing?

According to eNCA, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, confirmed that the department will begin rolling out the Municipal Disaster Response and Recovery Grants. He said that the rollouts, which are worth billions, will assist municipalities affected by the April 2025 floods.

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Hlabisa was speaking at the Sandton Convention Centre on 7 July 2025. He said the grants will assist the municipalities, of which the Eastern Cape was the worst affected. Damage was estimated to be over R6 billion. Hlabisa said that the department has placed accountability measures to ensure that the funds are not misused.

Hlabisa said once the department, municipality, or province has identified or reallocated funds, they will commence with interventions to the disaster. The funds will be distributed in three payments. The first payment will be made on 11 July, the second seven days later, and the third payment will be made in August.

Recent floods in South Africa

Parts of South Africa, including the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, were hit by floods since the beginning of 2025. Most recently, the Eastern Cape was devastated by floods, which resulted in the deaths of over 100 people and the displacement of more than 6,000. The national disaster, which was declared, triggered the need for the allocation of funds.

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Residents of Cape Town in the Western Cape lost their homes in the recent heavy rainfall, which caused flooding. Homes in informal settlements were destroyed, and the City of Cape Town was on alert, providing emergency relief to those affected by the floods.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens discussed the funds.

Conrad Hennig asked:

"Who got the tender? Paul?"

Bongane Lukhele said:

"They won't even see a cent."

Ntokozo Maseko said:

"Gwede Mantashe is on Property24 browsing R100 million mansions as we speak."

King Warra TheChef said:

"Bonuses for the comrades."

Don Maningi said:

"The poor won't see a cent."

Makhura Feni said:

"I'm sure Oscar is planning to cut his leave short."

Rescuers open up about difficulties

In a related article, Briefly News reported that a rescuer working to locate the bodies of those who died in the Eastern Cape floods opened up about the challenges. He spoke as the death toll rose.

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The rescuer said that they wrestle with debris like fallen roofs and walls. He credited the help of rescue dogs in locating the remains of victims.

Source: Briefly News