Traders still picking up the pieces

The July unrest left a disastrous impact on businesses; and some are still struggling to pick up the pieces.

Informal Traders chairperson Vuyiswa Ngodlo said even though they received compensation from government, it has not covered all their losses.

However, they are still grateful for what they have received.

“We were very much affected by looting. We can’t even say that we are okay now, since the food prices have gone up as a result of the looting. This inflation in food prices has forced us to increase our prices. As a result, people don’t buy as much as they don’t have money,” she said, urging government to compensate the big retail stores so that they decrease food prices.

She said when the looting started, she was forced to stay home, making a huge loss that she has had to work hard to build up and recover.

Although Greater Edendale

Mall was paid out by the South African Special Risk Insurance Association (Sasria), which enabled them to rebuild, the mall’s marketing manager, Gugulethu Ngcobo, said the destruction of the mall has devastated Edendale’s micro-economy.

“The riots had a disastrous impact on small businesses. Many of our local tenants have closed and won’t be reopening their doors.

“However, this has provided us with the unexpected opportunity of finding new talent while providing a refreshed tenant mix and layout that speaks directly to the immediate needs of the community.

“Despite, the riots and their subsequent impact, we will continue to do all that we can to put the community of Edendale Mall first and ensure the positive development of their day to day living experience.”

She added that the claim paid out by Sasria will cover the costs of rebuilding, which is currently underway.

“The rebuild continues to run on schedule and is going well. We are engaging and working with all community structures to ensure a smooth and successful build that will allow us to open as planned,” said Ngcobo.