A town mourns
2009-04-23
Lise Beyers
WHILE ash was still swirling around on Monday, hundreds of people descended upon the ruins of Paarl Print to pay homage to the fallen employees of the company. Colleagues, families, friends, and many other citizens of Paarl crammed under the marquee which was placed at the entrance to the business for a wreath laying service. In a sombre atmosphere, also attended by highly placed representatives of Naspers and Media24 such as Ton Vosloo, Koos Bekker, Francois Groepe and Jakes Gerwel, the direct families of the deceased sat in silent unison in the front row. The chairman of Paarl Print, Lambert Retief, said that the company’s first priority was towards the families of the deceased. The second was to fully investigate why this tragedy had taken place in the first place, and the third was to determine the road ahead. “The mother company of Paarl Print was established in 1905. We are not going to allow this tragic incident to get us down. We will arise out of the ashes as a better and stronger organisation.” Paarl Print MD Mike Ehret said that the fire was the most devastating in the company’s history of more than a century. “This is a most tragic event and our first priority is to stand by the families of the deceased. “The factory may be built of bricks and mortar which can be replaced, but Paarl Print is built around its people. “This is the start of a difficult road, but one we will not make alone.” Ehret stipulated that the company had already made arrangements in assisting the families - both in the short and long term. “Never did I think that I would have to deal with something like this,” said Stephen van der Walt, CEO of the Paarl Media group. “Each family will be receiving a payment of R10 000, as well as an immediate cash settlement for immediate expenses.” Van der Walt went on to thank all the members of the emergency services for their assistance. He added that the road forward is still uncertain as they had not yet had a chance to evaluate the full scale of the damage, but he guaranteed the salaries of all employees until the end of May. “As soon as we have a clearer view of the future, we will immediately inform employees about this.” While Bram Potgieter gently trumpeted out the Last Tattoo, family members laid wreaths on the steps of Paarl Print. This was followed by the rest of the audience placing flowers on the steps. During the proceedings two family members collapsed in mourning. At the end of the day there was not a dry eye in the house, as gentle music, such as Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up, echoed amongst the ashes.
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