The effects of KZN riots on food hikes
By Mcebo Makhaye
It has been a tough two months for South Africa post the riots, public violence and shops looting that took the nation by surprise.
First, it was KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) that was engulfed by the violent protests, which spread to Gauteng after couple of days.
Take a trip down memory lane, the civil/social unrest started under the guise of the #FreeZuma campaign where rioters burn down trucks, raided shopping centres, and blocked roads, according to reports.
Furthermore, after few days throughout the province of KZN, there was a lot of destruction with vehicles being torched, cars being stoned, shops being looted, and tyres being burned on the ground.
To date, the country is still reeling the economic shock that was caused by the riots which brought many businesses to a standstill for days and some had not recovered.
Speaking to Ndabenhle Mthembu, who is a lecturer in Humanities at Damelin College weighed in on the cause of food hikes saying it was motivated by the recent unrest.
“For me, the cause of the food hikes is purported to be motivated by resent unrest. Business sector said that in order to get the economy running against fast, they need to immediate cash injection hence the the (sic) hikes,” Mthembu explained.
He further said: “Food hikes was further caused by the share agreed on capitalism or business railing its ugly head again, whereby they are always opportunistic to sort of seizing or moment to be greedy, justify hiking of prices and using economics theories that aren’t really relevant to that particular time.”
Was it necessary for shops to embark on high food increase?
Many could agree that the riots have caused an immense economic problem in the business sector, but Mthembu thinks most of the businesses has been covered by support relief fund and insurance companies which makes it easy for them to recover.
“As much as businesses have been affected by looting and riots but several of them have been covered, there would be sort of a relief package from the government and insurance companies. So, from that point of view logically does not make sense, how you would justify the increase of prices based on that?” Mthembu questioned.
However, he critical argue with his views saying sometimes the food hikes may be reasonable when there is a fuel increase.
“But then again it backs the question of the increase of food, every time they say fuel has increased, the rand is not doing well therefore food prices have to be increased,” Mthembu argued.
“I don’t see any sense on food hikes because big corporates (some) of them that have been affected, they got storage for days and food security was never an issue in this country. We were never in trouble for running out of food, nothing really justifies the increasing of prices,” said Mthembu adding that due to the fear opportunistic nature of big business, they have exploited in the people.
Views of the consumers on the high food prices
Sanele Mthembu, who is a security said high food prices have made him change his monthly spending habits because he is now having to thoroughly calculates.
“People is suffering now because food is up now. Sometimes (me) because me (sic) I am a security, my company pay small money,” Sanele stressed.
Durban University of Technology student, Noxolo Kunene said the food hikes has made her to less buy meat and spend more on canned food.
“As a student, the unrest affected me very badly because now I can’t even get meat the only thing affordable is canned food,” said the Journalism student.
