Business owner Rihanna Lochner who stays in Linden has run a butchery in Darrenwood for over seven years with the help of her employees.
In the early hours of 23 January, Lochner said she was called by a security company that operates in the area about smoke that was streaming out from under the door of her butchery.
“When I arrived at my butchery I saw the smoke. Joburg Emergency Management Services were on the scene shortly afterwards who assisted me with opening the front and back door,” said Lochner.
Lochner said the electrician who normally comes to do maintenance work was also on scene to evaluate the situation and make it user-friendly after the source of the smoke was identified by Joburg EMS. The smoke started from above the freezer, where wires that were melting caused smoke to spread into other parts of the butchery.
She contacted her insurance company who advised her to remove all stock that was affected by the smoke and they would send a representative to come assess the damage caused on 25 January.
“All my stock, equipment and parts of the property are damaged. I’d roughly estimate the damage caused by the smoke at R300 000. I just hope after my insurance conducts their investigation they will pay out the amount of everything that was damaged”, said Lochner.
In the meantime while she is waiting for the findings and outcome of the investigation, she laments that she will not have an income for the next two months but will still have to pay her employees and operational costs.
Lochner added that so far since the incident she has received great support from her family, colleagues and members from her church.
