Johannesburg - Sasria, the company responsible for insuring institutions and businesses against riots and acts of terrorism, has launched a documentary about the aftermath of the July 9, 2021 riots.
It is reported that the violent civil unrest of July 2021, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, wiped billions from the country’s economy and led to 354 deaths.
The documentary, launched on Tuesday, comes two years after the events of July 2021, after the Constitutional Court’s order that former president Jacob Zuma be arrested.
KwaMashu in KZN is said to have been the hotbed and epicentre of the riots that saw shops and factories, including malls, looted over several days.
The township and other areas suffered food shortages following the destruction of their food supply after businesses were forced to close because of the damage.
Sasria CEO Mpumi Tyikwe said the documentary, “The Unrest”, was a much-anticipated contribution and reminder of the riots. It sought to to explain the pivotal role Sasria played during and after the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
“It’s a thought-provoking piece of work that captures the events of those seven days. They were consequential days that got the world talking and demonstrated Sasria’s significance in South Africa’s socio-economic ecosystem. There is the education element as well that says: ‘Yes, we can protest, but there is really no need to vandalise infrastructure, cause economic losses, and risk losing lives’," Tyikwe said in a statement.
In the documentary, Sasria executives and several industry leaders share their insights as people who were at the epicentre of the chaos. Those interviewed will touch on witness accounts and the debilitating aftermath.
Tyikwe said the past two years had seen Sasria become more agile and responsive, with more claims settled and the organisation cementing its reputation as a reliable insurance provider.
“In the documentary, viewers will be able to understand the potential alternative strategies that could have lessened the disaster’s magnitude. Further, there is a significant highlight on implications for businesses, the economy and communities at large, presenting a profound understanding of the societal and economic consequences of the unrest.“
Tyikwe said the insurance company had been working around the clock to settle all approved claims, adding that those that had been delayed were due to varying reasons, such as the reinstatement of buildings and business interruption dependencies on material damage claims being finalised.
“We have strong working relationships with our stakeholders, which enabled us to handle over R30 billion in claims. The payment of these has seen businesses restored and fully recovered.
“The management team I lead is focused on ensuring that we settle all the claims. With the risk of social unrest ever present in our country, we have committed to using lessons learnt from the 2021 riots to ensure that Sasria is a lot more responsive, should such an unplanned and unfortunate event happen again.”
The Unrest will also be premiered in Johannesburg at Ster-Kinekor in Sandton City on today, as well as on mainstream public platforms.
The Star