2 years later, still no compensation for businessmen
SITEKI – A Msunduza supermarket owner incurred a loss of E77 000 when his shop was looted and vandalised during the unprecedented 2021 political unrest and two years later, he has not benefitted from the Reconstruction Fund.
According to Joseph Lulane, the owner of Zamokuhle Supermarket, as businesspeople, they were advised that they should register and fill up forms that had been placed at various police stations across the country.
The filling up of the forms was part of the requirement by financial institutions for those who wished to benefit from the fund.
In 2022, former Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Dlamini announced that government had disbursed about E174 million to businesses through the fund.
Lulane said as businesspeople, they were promised that they would benefit from the fund by getting funding to resuscitate their businesses that were damaged through looting and vandalism during the unrest.
The businessman mentioned that his supermarket also suffered damages when it was vandalised and looted.
Damaged
He stated that his shop’s ceiling boards, doors, windows and walls were also damaged.
Adding, Lulane said the incurred loss was in the region of E22 000 while stock worth E55 000 was looted.
He mentioned that His Majesty King Mswati III launched the fund to ensure that emaSwati, whose businesses were affected during the unrest, were revived by benefitting from the fund.
“I had to use my own money to rehabilitate a section of the damages in my shop. I underwent all the processes that were required and further submitted my paper work to the bank, but I did not receive a cent from the fund. I’m just wondering on what criterion was employed for one to benefit from the fund and what was expected of us as businesses. I did all they wanted but I am disappointed that I did not get the money. About 18 shops were affected at Msunduza and the owners did not benefit a cent from the fund,” he claimed.
Benefit
Another shop owner at Msunduza, identified as Sukhan, also shared the same sentiments that his shop also did not benefit from the fund.
Sukhan, who runs Mawandla Grocery, said his shop was looted and vandalised, incurring losses in the region of E40 000.
He stated that he had to use his own money from his pocket to renovate the shop and to restock it after the looting of the stock and vandalism of the building that happened during the unrest.
The businessman urged government to assist them in reviving their businesses to ensure the growth of the economy.
“As businesspeople, we want to work hard in playing a major role towards the revitalisation of the economy. It will be a pleasure to see that government continues to assist businesses that did not benefit through availing the funds to revive them,” he said.
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo said all those who submitted and passed the due diligence checking process have been refunded.
The minister wondered if all the businesses that were complaining about being left out during the compensation process submitted and filed their requests.
When he was told that the complaining businesspeople indicated that they submitted their application forms at EswatiniBank, but they were not compensated, Khumalo said the bank was in charge of receiving all applications.
Encouraged
He further encouraged the aggrieved businesspeople to engage the ministry and the bank on the issue.
Khumalo said it would assist them to have their details ready so that they could be assisted within the parameters of the regulations passed by Parliament. “It will help to have specifics so we can help whoever is saying was left out.
“It’s our intention to assist all those who were affected,” he said.
Meanwhile, the King launched the Reconstruction Fund to compensate businesses that suffered damage to property and stock losses during the political unrest that started in June 2021.
The Ministry of Finance, together with EswatiniBank, had disbursed over E60 million through the Reconstruction Fund by June 2022.
The value of the approved applications was in the region of E108 835 867.89.
Vice Chairperson of the Reconstruction Fund Meluleki Dlamini stated that the fund management committee received 330 applications from affected businesses during the unrest.