The opening of Dragon Lounge pub in Stanger, Durban, was Wayne Sukhu’s proudest moment. But after a cleanup operation with the help of his friends at the weekend, he is not sure it will ever open again.
The business had been growing before the looting started, he said.
“I have lost everything. What they couldn’t take, they broke. No businesses survived in our plaza. They made sure they destroyed the place. They couldn’t carry the big fridges so they smashed and destroyed them.
“We take business loans and risks to start a business. I don’t have insurance. I was hoping to grow first.”
The lockdown made things difficult though.
“I just wanted it to grow and last. It wasn’t just a drinking place but also for memories. I was getting there. It’s so unfortunate. I’m angry at the looters. Some were regulars at the spot, and it feels like such a betrayal.” Sukhu said.
KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were last week engulfed by violent protests and looting, which started out as a call for the release of former president Jacob Zuma.
Over the weekend, Sukhu was helped by family and friends to clean up the place.
“It was heartbreaking to see everything on the floor like that. I was hit by depression a few days ago but seeing it now — that has turned into anger and revenge. I’m so angry.
“I haven’t received counselling and won’t be going for any. I’m lucky I have a strong family support system with amazing friends to keep me sane,” he said.
He has not decided whether to reopen, as he faces financial challenges.
“I’ve lost too much, so that decision hasn’t been made yet, but fear I won’t be going back to it,” he added.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday made an impassioned plea for South Africans to work together to mitigate the effects of unrest and riots that destroyed property and led to the loss of more than 200 lives.
Last week Ramaphosa said the Solidarity Fund had also established a humanitarian crisis relief fund to assist to those in “greatest” need.
“We will help our small businesses to heal from the damage they have suffered. We will help them to rebuild their businesses,” said Ramaphosa.
Zuma was taken into custody last week on Wednesday night, after he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for failure to adhere to a Constitutional Court directive to appear at the Zondo commission to answer allegations of state capture.
The violence has cost the state millions in policing. This was revealed by Maj-Gen Leon Rabie in a report to the portfolio committee for police in parliament on Friday.
“The estimates on expenditure as far as these deployments are concerned, is provisionally estimated at R350m,” he said.
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