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Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
AT least $25 million worth of property and infrastructure was damaged during the demonstrations that were organised by the opposition MDC-Alliance and some civic organisations in January, an official has said.
In an interview yesterday, Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu said his ministry has concluded assessment and quantified the damage the country suffered during the demonstrations.
“The ministry has quantified the loss and damage suffered by businesses across the country to be $25 million,” he said.
The revelation comes as the Government has started receiving applications for funding from businesspeople whose properties and premises were looted during the demonstrations. Violent demonstrations organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and MDC-Alliance as well as some civil society organisations resulted in massive destruction of property and premises leaving affected businesspeople stranded.
However, last month, the Government announced a $30 million fund to help the affected businesses to restock. Minister Ndlovu said authorities were doing “final touches” on the modalities pertaining to the accessing of the $30 million facility that has been set aside by the Government to assist businesses, mostly grocery shops, that were looted and vandalised during the two-day protest.
“We expect that between Tuesday and Thursday people will start applying and there will be loan contracts of course and we expect them to start drawing down on that because as policy makers we have concluded and everything has been set up. We have set aside up to $30 million as Government to assist in restocking, buying of equipment that was destroyed and rebuilding the burnt down buildings in Bulawayo. We have already made provisions for all this,” he said.
Minister Ndlovu said the funding that has been set aside by the Government was sufficient to cover the loss in terms of destruction and theft suffered by all the businesses in various parts of the country.
“We factor in inflation, for some you might find that the prices of the stocks (products) have increased here and there including the building materials but generally we know it should be more than adequate to meet our set targets,” he said
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Judith Ncube confirmed that the fund had been set aside and her office was ready to accept applications.
“It is a special fund that was set aside by the Government to assist companies. It is a relief loan that will be accessible only to companies affected during the violent protests in January,” she said.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) president Mr Denford Mutashu applauded the Government for coming up with the relief facility, saying it would go a long way in enabling shops to restock as well as to operate at full throttle. Mr Mutashu said the release of the fund was a reflection that the engagement between the Government and various stakeholders after the violent protests was fruitful.
“We are also calling on all those that were affected to report to their various provinces especially to their Provincial Ministers but they should have a police report that would have been opened at the time that the violence took place. So they should take that report to the Provincial Minister who will then take up the issue . . . ,” he said.
One Bulawayo businessman, Mr David Moyo who had his two shops looted said although the move by the Government was a noble one there was a need for it to spell out the terms of the loan facility.
“This is a good move by the Government but one would have thought the Government should have compensated all those who lost during the protests and assume the damage itself. Suffice to say most of the businesses that lost stock might have obtained it after applying for loans thus the burden of having to repay two loans might be risky. Be that as it maybe then the Government’s loan facility opts to be long-term,” he said.
Bulawayo companies were the worst affected with more than 100 shops looted and some destroyed. As part of its effort to extend a helping hand to the shops that were affected by the violent protests in Bulawayo Varun Beverages pledged to give each of them a refrigerator. Part of the refrigerators were handed over by the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa last Friday.
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