Economic Opportunities
How much has his Department spent in Knysna following the devastating fires at the latest date for which information is available and (b) to which companies were contracts awarded to reconstruct or rebuild the affected areas?
- The Department of Economic Development and Tourism has not spent any money in Knysna following the devastating fires, and has not awarded any contracts to rebuild the affected areas. I have, however, deployed a senior manager to assist in the coordination of all stakeholders. This includes the provincial Departments of Social Development and Human Settlements, who are implementing relief and recovery projects in the region.
It must be noted that when the fire disaster occurred in Knysna, the Department of Agriculture had no budget allocated for this unforeseen event however; plans were made internally to support the affected farmers. To date, we have spent almost R1m on animal feed to assist affected livestock farmers in Knysna. Meanwhile, a comprehensive farm assessment had been undertaken and it is estimated that close to R30m would be required to assist affected farmers with animal feed and the restoration of damaged infrastructure.
As the farm assessments have only just been concluded, the Department of Agriculture has not yet employed any contractor or supplier for repair or reconstruction in the Knysna area. This will only be undertaken once sufficient funding becomes available.
