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UN agencies pledge support to help rebuild KZN following looting, violence and destruction

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United Nations (UN) agencies in South Africa have pledged their full support to assisting KwaZulu-Natal recover from the devastating looting and violence that gripped the province almost three weeks ago.

 

A task team of UN and KZN officials has been established to identify priority areas in need of support.

A delegation, led by the UN’s Resident Coordinator, Nardos Bekele-Thomas, has finished a two-day visit to Durban to assess the impact of the unrest.

The delegation met with the KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala and eThekwini municipality officials.

Zikalala says the UN is a key ally in job creation and stimulating economic growth after the looting and violence.

On Thursday, the premier announced that the province has asked the national government to declare a state of disaster in the province following the unrest and mass looting, which resulted in the loss of life and widespread destruction.

The protests began as a show of support for the release from prison of former president Jacob Zuma, who is serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. But it escalated into riots, leaving at least 250 people dead.

Zikalala briefs the media on economic recovery:

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