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The Citizen reports that the unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal last month wreaked an immense amount of economic havoc, particularly in the sugar industry.
In a statement on Tuesday, the SA Canegrowers Association (Sacga) voiced its concern about the impact that the chaos has had on the industry’s lifeblood. The association has written to government to request that immediate financial relief be paid to growers, especially small-scale ones. Some 500,000 tonnes of cane was burnt in arson attacks associated with the attempted insurrection. “The extent of the damage becomes clearer by the day, there are now thousands of precious rural jobs… at risk,” the association warned. Almost a third of the destroyed cane belonged to small-scale growers, many of whom will not be able to recover from financial losses. Small-scale growers also do not have any form of insurance. Sacga said many were awaiting relief from Grocane, a fire insurance cooperative, as well as from the SA Special Risk Insurance Association. However, small-scale growers were told that any cane burnt before mill closures during the riots would not be covered by either body. This despite many mills only closing after a large amount of cane had already been destroyed. These growers also stand to lose industry transformation benefits, which are linked to the tonnage of cane delivered.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nica Richards at The Citizen
- Read too, Sugar industry pleads for state assistance as it counts unrest losses, at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page