ECONOMIC DAMAGES AND JOB LOSSES

THE unrest aggravated poverty, unemployment and inequality.

The damage to the economy of KwaZulu-Natal has been devastating.

It is estimated that the infrastructure, equipment and stock losses will be at least R20 billion with approximately 30 000 jobs lost. The impact of reduced investor confidence will be many times over.

There was an early manifestation of a food crisis due to the storage of bread and long queues outside shops after the violence.

It was inevitable that the clearly deliberate targeting and destruction of major food chain stores and distribution centres were going to lead to a devastating food crisis.

If the N3 and N2 were not open it would have taken the food insecurity crisis to unmanageable levels.

A special tribute must be paid to civil society and religious organisations who undertook the free distribution of food, bread and milk to vulnerable communities.

We submit that civil society’s effort exceeded the effort of the state.