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South Africa to Boost Funding for Drought Relief, Ramaphosa Says

South Africa to Boost Funding for Drought Relief, Ramaphosa Says

(Bloomberg) --

South African disaster-management authorities are working with local governments to find more money to help farmers affected by drought, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

This year the state provided 260 million rand ($18 million) to help offset the effects of the dry spell, Ramaphosa said in his weekly statement. South Africa is in the midst of a decade-long drought that has left average dam levels at about 58% of capacity, he said.

South Africa to Boost Funding for Drought Relief, Ramaphosa Says

“Given the severity of the crisis, this amount is woefully inadequate,” Ramaphosa said. “Disaster Management is working with provinces and municipalities to see how they can reprioritize their budgets for relief and recovery.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Richardson in Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Vernon Wessels, Alastair Reed

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