Durban - A businessman found restoring the convenience stores at his three petrol stations, after looters had ravaged them, a difficult and expensive road to travel.
It cost Sibonelo Mbatha, 45, of KwaShali (South Coast) R15 million to repair the shops at his petrol stations in Inanda, KwaMashu and Bhamshela, in KwaDukuza. His Inanda store was burnt to the ground.
As much as the devastation at his business premises weighed heavily on him, Mbatha was not prepared to be overwhelmed -- after all, he was previously able to raise himself from being a petrol attendant to a successful businessman.
Another motivating factor for him to trade at full tilt again were the nearly 100 staff that he employed collectively at all three petrol outlets.
His passion to own his own petrol station was lit while working as an attendant, and he achieved that goal in 2006. He opened his first petrol station in Inanda, before adding the others to his collection.
But his “heart broke” when he learnt about the damage looters had done at the three stations. In recalling the fateful night when the unrest began in July last year, Mbatha said he was at home when he received the news from his staff that his service stations were being targeted by looters.
“It was just after the president had addressed that nation. Minutes later, I received calls from all three stations about them being looted. I couldn’t focus on one or the other, it literally happened at the same time.” Mbatha said even though it is still unclear who the instigators were, he felt that he was singled out.
“When I realised the extent of damage done to my businesses, I felt defeated and hopeless. There is nothing more heartbreaking to know that everything you have worked for has been destroyed,” he said.
While he was in two minds about whether to repair the damage, Mbatha was driven by his compulsion to continue serving the needs of the communities in Inanda, KwaMashu and Bhamshela that relied on his services.
“When the dust started to settle, I had discussions with my petrol supplier and insurance companies about rebuilding the stations. “While I appear to be brave and happy about trading once more, the question I keep asking myself is: ‘what if this happens again?’,” he said. Mbatha asked why the country’s justice system was yet to tackle the instigators of the unrest.
“The people who are responsible for this have never been held accountable. The scary thing is that people have seen how easy it was to break in and take what didn’t belong to them. “That is my biggest fear,” said Mbatha.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE