The SA Property Owners Association (Sapoa) has denounced the riots and looting across SA that broke out over the weekend.
After former president Jacob Zuma’s incarceration last week, violence and unrest have rocked parts of SA with people trashing shops and burning car dealerships. Landlords have been trying to gather information about which of their properties were damaged.
“Following this weekend’s spate of unrest across SA, Sapoa strongly condemns the incidents of looting and malicious damage to retail property centre,” the body said.
Sapoa represents owners of commercial property including listed and unlisted companies and private individuals. It is considered to be the country’s largest property body, with more than 800 member companies and organisations.
The listed property sector is worth R380bn. Sapoa’s members include landlords as well as facilities providers such as companies that supply elevators, escalators, air conditioning and cleaning.
“Sapoa further points out that this maliciousness and damage to infrastructure and other property is only going to further exacerbate the country’s socioeconomic challenges, the broader financial impact of the looting and property destruction undermines the country’s economic confidence and will in all likelihood result in a greater economic downturn,” it said.
Sapoa CEO Neil Gopal said the events were deplorable.
“Whilst people have the right to protest, they do not have the right to destroy property and steal. We recognise and respect the rights of every South African to protest peacefully and freely express their views on any matter of concern, our constitution affords us that right. However, these protesters must respect the rights of others,” he said.
Leon Kok, COO at Redefine Properties, SA’s second-largest locally invested property company by asset size with more than R63bn worth of assets in the country, said the fund had been affected by the riots.
“A few of our properties in KwaZulu-Natal, namely uShukela Industrial Park, Cato Ridge Distribution Centre and 320 West Street were looted overnight and today,” he said.
In view of the threats, the Scottsville Mall and Isipingo Junction were closed to the public.
In Johannesburg, Maponya Mall in Soweto, Boulders Shopping Centre in Midrand, Golden Walk in Germiston, Wonderboom Junction in Pretoria, Benmore Gardens in Sandton and the Centurion Mall were all closed and would reopen on Tuesday
“The closure is to ensure the safety of our customers, tenants and employees. All sites continue to be monitored and precautionary safety measures have been put in place to prevent damage as far possible to property,” said Kok.
A number of other landlords declined to comment.
Gopal welcomed the government’s decision to deploy SA’s military.
“Clearly our police services are being overwhelmed and are ill equipped to deal with the magnitude, scale and nature of the violence and destruction that is happening around us.
“We are pleased that the presidency has deployed the SA National Defence Force to help curb the situation, and for those who have been arrested to feel the full might of the law and be given punitive jail sentences that reflect our society’s disdain of this criminal behaviour,” he said.
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