BUSINESS owners at the North Coast Road Industrial Park have estimated the damage done to their business during the looting and arson of the KZN unrest to be more than R50-million.
Several businesses within the park on Krishna Road in Briardene were looted before being set on fire.
The businesses include a chickery, an industrial air-conditioning company, a home security business and a tyre storage facility.
Speaking to Northglen News last week, James McClelland and Gary Holloway spoke about their despair and frustration following the arson and theft.
Despite adding additional security measures like electric fencing, and raised barbed wire, thieves have attempted to gain entry into the industrial park weeks after the unrest.
“What was really horrible was discovering what had been done the day after. We were initially alerted to the looting via our security camera feed but once the electricity was cut and the infrastructure damaged we lost power. One of our sites within the park was completely torched and we estimate more than R4-million worth of damage. We also had to set a makeshift fire hose to put out some the flames when we were re-establishing our water and electricity. We’ve been based here for more than 20 years and this is a massive setback for our business,” McClelland said.
Durban North resident, Gary Holloway spoke about the despair and heartbreak of seeing his father’s business looted.
“Everything of value was taken from our offices and we sustained smoke damage to our offices. It’s heartbreaking to see my dad who is shattered about what has happened. We actually recovered one of our vehicles which had been stolen from the premises inside the Briardene Informal Settlement. It had been set alight and we had to tow it back to the premises. We also have video footage of items being stolen which we feel could help Greenwood Park SAPS but we’ve had no feedback from them which is also frustrating,” Holloway said.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
