Are sure your car is insured for riots?

epa05215772 Striking community members protest on the streets of Zandspruit, an informal settlement west of Johannesburg, South Africa, 17 March 2016. Community members blocked and barricaded roads surrounding the settlement, after their illegal electricity connections where removed my Johannesburg Council workers almost a week ago. EPA/SHIRAAZ MOHAMED

epa05215772 Striking community members protest on the streets of Zandspruit, an informal settlement west of Johannesburg, South Africa, 17 March 2016. Community members blocked and barricaded roads surrounding the settlement, after their illegal electricity connections where removed my Johannesburg Council workers almost a week ago. EPA/SHIRAAZ MOHAMED

Published Jun 23, 2016

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Johannesburg - You don't have to be too observant to notice that public violence in South Africa is on the rise. In the three years from 2013 to 2016, there were 2880 ‘public protest gatherings’ in this country - more than half of them violent.

This according to the public violence monitoring project of the Institute for Security Studies, and it lends credence to media reports calling South Africa “the protest capital of the world” - not least those in recent days in and around the City of Tshwane.

“These incidents are by nature unpredictable and often chaotic,” pointed out Dialdirect spokeswoman Bianca de Beer, “and often result in extensive damage to both public and private property.

”Which is why we encourage people to make sure Sasria cover is included in their insurance policies so they’re covered should they get caught up in one; without it, their insurance company might reject claims for damage or loss suffered during a strike, civil unrest or protest.”

Sasria stands for South African Special Risks Insurance Association - a state-owned underwriter that provides cover for loss or damage to insured property as a direct result of civil unrest, including rioting, strike action and public disorder. It’s the only insurer in South Africa that does.

Cover your ass(ets)

Sasria stakeholder management division executive manager Thokozile Ntshiqa confirmed that it covers personal property such as vehicles, homes and household contents, as well as commercial and government property.

“So it’s important to check with your broker or insurer that Sasria cover is included in your policy.”

De Beer agreed, saying: “Sasria is automatically included in your car insurance policy if your vehicle is financed; after the car has been paid off, your Sasria cover will continue as long as your insurance policy does.”

But, she said, you should check with your insunrance company anyway, because it’s not automatic included for cars that are already paid for, or on household insurance.

Motoring.co.za

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