PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BY TARREN-LEE HABELGAARN
Pulling together to help rebuild KZN
T
he floods that hit parts of KwaZulu-Natal on 11 and 12 April have been described as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country and claimed the lives of more than 440 people, leaving 40 000 people displaced, with more than 12 000 homes, 600 schools and hundreds of businesses destroyed.
It has been a trying time for businesses who have already been struggling to keep their doors open following the impact of COVID-19 and loadshedding, but one thing disasters have always highlighted is the resilience and strength of South Africans and our business sector. One person praised for going beyond to help others bounce back after devastation is Gift of the Givers founder, Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman. Following the recent flooding and rains in KwaZulu-Natal, Sooliman and his team have been on the ground helping flood-stricken areas to rebuild. Whether it be locally or internationally, the organisation always finds a way to help get economies up and running to ensure that people have something to return to once the disaster has passed. Their response to disasters vary and depend on prevailing conditions in the identified disaster or war zones.
24 | Public Sector Leaders | May 2022
