The Department of Water and Sanitation says it is not responsible for the disaster relief organisation, Gift of Givers, withdrawing its services from Makhanda, Grahamstown - despite the drought-hit city facing a dire water shortage.
A clearly angry Gift of the Givers Founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, told Algoa FM News on Thursday that his organisation was advised this week by the Department of Water and Sanitation that only companies from Makhanda can be paid for drought intervention work.
He said they would therefore no longer be offering their services in Makhanda, despite finding water in three boreholes they'd drilled there.
Dr Sooliman said it would ultimately amount to R10 million of taxpayers money now being handed out by the government to other parties as remuneration for work that Gift of the Givers has already done.
Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said the buck ultimately stops with the Makana Municipality as his department is not allowed to give funds to private entities.
"The issue of the agreement between the Makana local Municipality and Gift of the Givers is something that must be resolved by the two parties."
He said their responsibility was to transfer the drought relief money to the municipality, which they have done.
Gift of the Givers issued a statement earlier explaining why they were withdrawing from the project.
https://www.algoafm.co.za/article/local/100387/gift-of-givers-withdraws-from-makhanda-as-matter-of-principle-
