GEORGE NEWS - Local businessman Johann Oosthuizen, also known as JJ Rommel, lost a Caterpillar skid steer loader with a second-hand value of R250 000 to the Neo Victoria building disaster. 

Oosthuizen is not insured and manages his business alone. A new skid steer will cost half a million rand.

"This is a massive blow to my income," he said when asked about his loss. "I rented the skid steer to another businessman, Hannes Neethling of Tippeton Plant Hire, who also lost a laser grader during the disaster." 

Both the laser grader and the skid steer were parked on the bottom level (in the basement) of the construction site.

Oosthuizen hopes that he will be able to use the engine and some of the parts of the skid steer to rebuild the utility vehicle. "Hannes will try to help, but he too experienced a huge loss," said Oosthuizen.

The replacement value of Hannes Neethling's laser grader is R1,8m.

Neethling said the replacement value of the laser grader is R1,8-million.

"Mine was imported from the USA and was the only one in South Africa. I bought it second-hand from someone else who needed a bigger machine."

Neethling said the grader is insured, but only for about a third of the replacement value.

The laser grader at the bottom of the Neo Victoria disaster site, seen from the front.

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