Kubayi-Ngubani to take restaurant pleas to the NCCC
Minister of Tourism Nkensani Kubayi-Ngubani has vowed to ensure that the National Coronavirus (NCCC) receives the memorandum of demands from Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA).
Restaurants, cafes and eateries around the country held a ‘million seats on the streets’ protest on Wednesday.
RASA - which led the campaign - had written to various ministers and President Cyril Ramaphosa to lift the alcohol ban and to do away with the curfew.
Kubayi Ngubani received a memorandum of demand from the organisation in Parkhurst on Wednesday.
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She said there has been continuous engagements with owners since the lockdown came into effect.
"So we had to work hard in partnership with the private sector to able to see how we can get the sector more back into active life and participating.
"Obviously a number of things are not going the way we wanted.”
At the same time she warned that videos and pictures of non-compliant restaurants complicate any decision to reopen the sector.
"She (RASA's chair Wendy Alberts) knows I fight with her when I see some level - even if it's one video of non-compliance in the sector by the restaurant. I ask questions because once there's something like that it makes it difficult for those of us sitting around the table to converse and to argue on behalf of the sector.
"I will definitely ask both of this to my colleague Dr (Nkosazana) Dlamini-Zuma and also to the president.”