Insurance council spotlights Glen View 8 complex

THE Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) has engaged Harare’s Glen View area 8 Complex operators to help identify risk mitigation strategies to address the persistent challenges they face, such as recurrent fire outbreaks.

The area has been prone to perennial fire outbreaks, which have seen millions-worth property being destroyed.

ICZ feels that most people operating in the area have limited knowledge or awareness on risk identification and mitigation.

“We seek to appreciate the operating environment and the challenges faced that result in frequent fire outbreaks,” ICZ public read marketing manager Ringisai Batiya said during the tour of the complex.

“This will lead to working together with operators in coming up with and implementing risk mitigation solutions tailor-made for the area. Most people operating from the area have limited knowledge or awareness on risk identification and mitigation. This is also hindered by limited financial resources.”

Bayiya said ICZ sought to address their needs based on the nature of business operations they run.

Last year, a section of the mainly furniture manufacturing complex was gutted by fire, an occurrence that has haunted the area for many years. The causes of the fires have largely remained a mystery with traders and witnesses often giving different versions of events ranging from suspected electrical faults to randomly discarded lit cigarette butts.

Batiya said the presence of ICZ was not to promote insurance products, but to work together with the operators on risk management.

“Implementation of tailor made risk identification and mitigation initiatives with the input of the operators will be crucial as it will address their needs based on the nature of business operations they run,” she noted.

ICZ head of operations Nicholas Sayi highlighted that the main aim of the tour was to build resilience and sustainability in the economy so that when people face problems insurers step in to ensure business continuity.