WATCH: The famous blue couch recovered after KZN unrest

The famous blue couch that was looted recently in the KwaZulu-Natal unrest has been safely returned, albeit a bit worse for wear.

An armpiece is still missing as the San Pablo Leather Corner Sofa is returned to the Leather Gallery.

The corner couch measuring at 3240 x 2640mm was valued at R67 999, said Leather Gallery owner, Greg Parry.

Crafted from premium quality leather, the couch has been damaged by the elements. The missing piece has hampered the refurbishment process.

“The San Pablo Leather Corner Sofa was subjected to extremely rough treatment and had clearly been pushed, pulled, and dragged when it was looted from our Springfield showroom,” he said.

“Furthermore, it appeared that it was left outdoors for a few days and was in turn subjected to harsh elements which severely degrades and damages genuine leather. While the majority of our beloved San Pablo was found, we discovered that it had been dismembered and is still missing an armless piece. Should we find the missing piece, we would love to try and restore the San Pablo back to its original glory,” said Parry.

Parry said they are assessing the damage and deciding on a course of action to best repair the San Pablo Leather Corner Sofa.

“We are extremely grateful to the Sydenham SAPS team who recovered our beloved San Pablo from an informal settlement in Quarry Road. We were informed that it was being held at a secure facility and one of our owners, Terry Parry, went to view the San Pablo and confirmed that it was indeed one of our sofas. We then had one of our own Leather Gallery trucks come and collect the San Pablo to return it to our warehouse,” he added.

Parry said the store will update the public on their progress in repairing the couch.

“We have loved seeing how invested the public has become in our now famous sofa, San Pablo, and so we will definitely keep everyone up to date with what is happening on our social media platforms,” he concluded.