The provincial government says that this is due to the magnitude of the damage caused by the recent civil unrest.

Premier Sihle Zikalala says that there are also severe damages to public infrastructure which must be addressed.

The estimated costs of all damages have exceeded R 1 billion.

Meanwhile, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel says that they will be working on rebuilding investor confidence following the rampant looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

He says that there have already been interventions to reestablish supply lines in the economy. Minister Patel anticipates that the repair to businesses could take up to month, and that efforts are being made to ensure that construction and structural repairs are sped up.

The R 3.9 billion funding made available to support affected businesses will be monitored to ensure that there is no illicit spending.

[Header image: Elmond Jiyane / GCIS]