KZN Sugar Mills Forced To Shut Down, Sugar Cane Farms Set On Fire
- AgriSA says farmers in KwaZulu-Natal have been hit hard by the ongoing violent protests that have swept
- KwaZulu-Natal farmers have lost R180 million worth grower revenue due to the burning of sugar cane farmers
- Reports also say that livestock such as chickens, pigs, goats and sheep have been stolen by rioters
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After sugar cane farms were set ablaze in KwaZulu-Natal by protestors, sugar mills in the province are forced to shut down.
In addition to farms being set alight, it has been reported by Fin24 that cane trucks had been hijacked and mills threatened by protestors.
Source: Getty Images
AgriSA executive director Christo van der Rheede says that farmers have suffered significant losses as a result of their inability to distribute their fresh produce to local markets and stores.
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KwaZulu-Natal farmers have also had their livestock stolen by rioters according to IOL.
"People ran away with chickens, pigs, goats and sheep. Those are big losses for farmers,” said van der Rheede.
Van der Rheede says that one farmer in KwaZulu-Natal has made a loss of R3 million as perishable goods cannot be transported to stores that have been looted.
R180 million of grower revenue has been lost due to 300 000 tonnes of sugar cane being burnt by rioters according to South African Canegrowers Chief Executive Thomas Funke.
Briefly News readers had different reactions to the news of sugar mills closing down. Here is what they had to say:
Kgaugelo Shakwane:
"I understand people are hungry but what does burning of infrastructure have to do with hunger,"
Yingisani Polite Mandoza:
"Hunger will kill us in next coming weeks wait and see not mentioning prices inflation"
MaTumi Motaung
"Yoh!Sugar it's already expensive it's gonna be more expensive for all South Africans not only Zulus in KZN."
Fischer Morgan
"Instead of creating jobs now hooligans are busy cutting jobs and at the end Ramaphosa will still drink tea even if the packet of sugar rise to an extent of R500."
Basnara Thompo
"Only idiots can do that for what ? they will remain more poorer because rebuilding the malls and the factory etc it will take more years some investors will leave the country and many of the people will be jobless."
Zuma has not applied for compassionate leave to attend brother's funeral
Briefly News recently reported that former president Jacob Zuma has, like any other inmate, the right to apply for permission to attend a family member's funeral. Zuma has yet to do so for his late brother, Michael. Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed that Msholozi has yet to apply for compassionate leave.
TimesLIVE reportedly spoke to the department to find out if Zuma would be granted permission to attend Michael's funeral and whether or not he had been informed that he had lost his brother to long term illness.
Michael Zuma passed away on Sunday but it is currently unclear if the former present, who is serving a 15-month jail sentence, has been informed of his death.
Nxumalo informed the publication about the former president's health. He explained that Zuma is doing well and that inmates are encouraged to use the public phones provided to keep in contact with their families should they want to, according to SowetanLIVE.
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Source: Briefly News
