Margate businesses pick up pieces after storm
Many small business owners in Margate are continuing to pick up the pieces following last week’s devastating storm.
At least five people were killed after strong winds and floods pounded the south coast town and its surrounds.
The heavy downpours caused millions of rands worth of damage to households, businesses, and infrastructure.
The Grove Restaurant And Beach Bar's is one of the establishments affected.
Operational Manager Brandon Lehmann says because of the business not being able to trade, they are relying on other businesses to provide the restaurant's staff with temporarily employment.
"We can't operate until we receive all the reports from the relevant engineers and contractors because the wash away went so far underneath the front area of the building an d breached in the areas. We don't know the extent under the restaurant area itself. We have done some tests on top with regards to sound and echo."
READ: Departments to tally costs from Margate floods
Lehmann believes the damage could have been prevented or minimised.
"None of this would have happened if the stuff was maintained. Years of outcries from the community were actually heard and have made the necessary adjustments and repairs and maintenance to infrastructure we would have experience that we did in these recent heavy rains."
Last week, Coperative Governance MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi met with officials from the departments of human settlements, public works and transport to look at the estimated cost of damage.
The provincial government has also also asked national government to declare the south coast floods a disaster.
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