NRZ complex fire victims seek help

wishers help them to restart their business, amid revelations that NRZ cannot compensate them because they were told to move out, after the building was condemned.
The Bulawayo business complex was condemned in the late 1990s by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
The victims which include 17 businesspeople and more than 200 employees have a appealed to well wishers to help them recapitalise so that they can start working again to fend for theie families.
Narrating their ordeal to Chronicle on Friday, three of the businesspeople said they were extremely desperate.
“I do not have money for food, fees, and clothing and Iam worried that survival will now be impossible for me and my family. I have nowhere to go so I am appealing to well wishers to help me start working because I do not want to beg,” said the visibly hurt man.
One of the victims said he was concerned about the livelihood of his employees who were also left stranded and jobless after the fire destroyed 210 heavy duty sewing machines.
“I lost everything in the fire and I have nothing to do to generate income for my livelihood.
“We are appealing to the politicians, businesses, ministers,churches and non-governmental organisations to at least assist us with three sewing machines, one over locking machine and $1 000 cash for material each so that we start our businesses all over again,” he said.
The men also revealed that they had tried in vain to engage the NRZ to help them but were told the they could not be compensated because they were operating in a “condemned” building.
“We were aware that the building we were using was condemned by NSSA. The NRZ approached us during the late 1990s and told us to move away but we offered to renovate the building ourselves,” he said.
They said it was unfortunate because the building was gutted by fire in November before they completed the renovations that that started in August.
Called for a comment, the NRZ public relations manager Mr Fanuel Masikati confirmed the building was condemned by NSSA and that his company was not going to compensate the fire victims. “The building was condemned in the 1990s and the people were told to vacate the premises and look for other places to operate from. However they refused to leave saying they had no other place to go and they offered to renovate the complex themselves,” said Mr Masikati.
He said the building was not insured and NRZ was not in a position to compensate the 17 businesspeople and the causes of the fire were still under investigation.
At least 17 indigenous businesspeople lost property estimated to be more than $1, 2 million following the outbreak of the fire.
The burnt property and machinery included heavy-duty sewing machines, frigdes, boilers, steam irons, stoves, different kinds of car parts, cutting machines, different kinds of fabric, clothes and computers. The destruction also left workers jobless as the fire reduced all the equipment and material to ashes.
The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained, but the businesspeople suspect it could have been an act of arson by burglars.