Durban CBD shop owners count cost after March and March protest violence

Shop owners in Durban’s Central Business District (CBD) have reported significant financial losses following anti-illegal-immigration protests that broke out in March. The protests, organized by the March and March Movement, resulted in numerous businesses being looted and one building being set alight. Most foreign-owned shops in the CBD were forced to close temporarily as the protests persisted.

Mcurus Santus, an Ethiopian businessman who owned a fashion clothing shop, confirmed that the fire destroyed his entire inventory. He had closed his shop around 10 am on Thursday due to the protest, and received a call from another business owner at 5 pm that night, informing him of the fire. Despite the firefighters warning him not to enter the building, Santus rushed to the scene and witnessed the entire structure engulfed in flames.

He had spent around R75,000 to purchase merchandise for his shop, and now he cannot afford to rebuild.

Also affected by the protests was Sizwe Nkosi, a local salon owner, who shared his building with Santus. Nkosi recounted the harrowing incident when a mob set fire to the building. He narrowly escaped the fire and now faces the daunting task of rebuilding his salon, which he considers his source of survival. Nkosi has no plans to reopen his salon in the CBD anytime soon, stating that the protests have caused him too much financial strain.

He calls on the government to address the issue of illegal immigration urgently, as the ongoing protests continue to negatively impact both businesses and residents.