`SA`s image is at stake`

Source: kieran.legg@inl.co.za Cape Argus, 11/01/2013

Cape Town - While vendors had been robbed of their livelihoods and
businesses would have to spend months processing insurance claims, the
real cost of Wednesday`s riots was South Africa`s reputation, Michael
Bagraim, chairman of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry human
capital portfolio, said on Thursday.

He said YouTube clips of the breakaway housing protest, in which shops
were looted, bins overturned and windows smashed in the city centre,
were doing the rounds among his international clients.

Bagraim represents more than 1 400 businesses, many of them with ties
overseas. "We want investors to look at South Africa as a place to do
business. What they saw in these videos was chaos - there were no
police anywhere and people were running riot."

He said the scenes had shaken confidence in the country.

While businesses would recover from the lost hours and broken assets,
and while vendors might be able to build up their stocks again, South
Africa`s reputation had been immeasurably damaged and it could take
years for it to recover.

"All the fantastic work of the 2010 World Cup, where we showed the
world we could handle anything, is being undone. You are only as good
as your last event, and our last event was a rampage."
IOL gallery oct 31 CBD chaos 7.JPG

Protesters started looting stalls in the CBD. Photo: Jason Boud/Cape Argus

Cape Argus

But it was not a death sentence for South Africa as an investor
destination. "We have to avoid another situation like this at all
costs and put ourselves back on the right track."

The mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said
that about R300 000 in damage to small items, such as bins and trees,
had already been tallied.

But he said the total cost to the city could easily top R1 million.
"We have a cost recovery team out there at the moment assessing the
damage."

The final tally would be made available by the end of the weekend.

Smith said the destruction of public infrastructure was infantile.

"We have footage of people picking palm trees out of the ground.
Spending a good 15 minutes just pulling them out and kicking them."

At the time of going to print, two protesters had been arrested and
were set to be charged and appear in court.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said there had been
seven cases registered, including "public violence, malicious damage
to property, theft, housebreaking and possession of stolen goods".

The police have urged victims of the riots to press charges.

Traut also responded to claims that the police had been unprepared for
the looting and vandalism, saying: "We have good reason to believe our
tactics on Thursday ensured that the situation was kept under control
and prevented further chaos."