Durban CBD slowly rumbles back to life after resembling ‘ghost city’

Durban’s central business district was slowly returning to normal on Friday after resembling a ghost city in the wake of days of rampant looting and destruction.

A few businesses opened their doors for the first time this week. 

Public transport, including taxis and buses, was back on the streets in numbers.

Municipal refuse collection trucks were back to clean up the mess littering the streets.

A vegetable hawker on Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street, who asked not to be named, was among the first to set up for business early in the morning. He said he was pleased to be back and was inundated with customers wanting to purchase his stock.

“I am very happy I am back in business after a whole week at home without any income,” he told TimesLIVE.

“I received fresh stock this morning and I rushed here after hearing the chaos of last weekend had stopped.

“As you can see, people are coming in thick and fast and it would appear my stock will be sold out today because many of my colleagues are not back yet.

“We hope the calm we see is a sign that normality will return soon because we have to feed our families.”

Not far from him, a national pizza chain store, untouched by looters, had also reopened.

The Spar on Dr AB Xuma Street, also spared from looting, opened for business and was inundated by dozens of customers queuing outside and taking turns to go inside.

TimesLIVE