Lungani Zungu
Zamanguni Mzimela watched helplessly as the business her father, Mzomuhle, built from scratch, came crashing down during the July unrest.
It is the business she took over in 2015 after she left her teaching job to focus on keeping the gas-selling business afloat.
“It hurts me that the people who destroyed our business are the people who come from our communities,” said Zamanguni, who is now struggling to rebuild her business at Philani Mall in Umlazi south of Durban.
The business is her only source of income. Forging ahead with her father’s legacy has proved difficult for Zamanguni – who is now pleading with Good Samaritans to help her revive the family business.
“It is difficult to even put food on the table for my family because we relied on the business. We will appreciate any kind of help that will help me rebuild my father’s business,” she said.
Thugs ransacked more than 200 malls in Gauteng and KZN in July following former president Jacob Zuma’s arrest on 7 July.
Zamanguni said she lost about R80,000.
The looting of her shop has also affected her clients, who have to travel long distances to get gas.
It doesn’t help that the mall where she was located is still closed.
The week-long unrest cost the already struggling South African economy more than R50 billion and led to many people, including Zamanguni’s workers losing their jobs.
Woman of steel that she is, Zamanguni, vows that she will fight to rebuild her father’s business.
