Premier pays tribute to those involved in rebuilding process following KZN unrest
It has been a year since the looting and destruction that set fire to parts of the province which resulted in roughly over R50bn loss to the national economy with over R30bn of the estimated losses being in KZN.
KWAZULU-NATAL Premier Sihle Zikalala visited several businesses in Queen Nandi Drive, Springfield Park, uMlazi and KwaMashu last week to assess the damages inflicted on these businesses during last year’s July civil unrest.
It has been a year since the looting and destruction that set fire to parts of the province which resulted in roughly over R50bn loss to the national economy with over R30bn of the estimated losses being in KZN.
According to Zikalala, the impact of the unrest affected the retail industry disproportionately, which bore the majority of the impact, with more than 200 shopping malls targeted and 1 787 retail stores looted and damaged.
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A number of distribution centres, warehouses and major retailers such as Makro, Cato Ridge Distribution Centre and Springfield Value Mart became major high-value targets as the unrest unfolded.
“The province has undertaken an exercise to assess progress with regards to the rebuilding programme. The emerging position is that most insured small businesses have reopened, at the same time as a substantial percentage of big businesses being back to normal. Concurrently, a number of big businesses, including mega malls such as Edendale in Pietermaritzburg, Bridge City in KwaMashu and Springfield Value Centre, are still under reconstruction. Bridge City is targeted to open in March 2023,” he said.
Zikalala also paid tribute to all stakeholders, businesses and residents for their steadfastness and resoluteness in the face of adversity.
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“As we assessed progress in various sites, we are inspired by the resilience of the people of KwaZulu-Natal and our fellow neighbours and partners who are pulling together to rebuild this province. We are resolute in ensuring that some of the fault lines that exacerbated the tragedies we saw during the unrests, which led to the death of people, are dealt with. KwaZulu-Natal is rising, and there is no turning back,” he said.
