Huge claims show effect of July riots

As the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) began its hearings into the unrest which ripped through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July, there came the sobering statistic that more than 14,000 claims for insurance payouts, totalling R32 billion, had been lodged with the South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria).

Government has had to inject almost R15 billion into Sasria to help it meets its obligations. Sasria was the organisation set up during the apartheid years to provide some extra cover for damage sustained in riots… and that made sense as internal strife increased in the 1980s.

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The current claims on Sasria are the highest in its history – including during the liberation struggle. That is an indication of the devastation caused by July’s anarchy.

Yet even that R32 billion doesn’t come close to quantifying the suffering of the families of those killed, or of the thousands who lost their jobs when businesses folded.

While the SAHRC hearings will be cathartic for those giving evidence, we worry that they will concentrate on the symptoms – including vigilante killings – instead of on identifying those responsible.

Make no mistake, this uprising was not spontaneous and those behind it walk free, ready to do it all over again