‘Our restaurants are crippled’ - association pleads with govt to allow them to reopen
The Restaurant Association of South Africa has pleaded with government to allow all restaurants to reopen under the same guidelines as places of worship under level three.
Restaurants are allowed to open for business under level 3 of the regulations, but only for drive-throughs, deliveries and take-aways.
“Our restaurants are crippled, our industry is crippled,” says the association’s CEO Wendy Alberts.
“There is no more money left in our industry to continue to sustain being open. People have lost their jobs, we are sitting with 80% of our industry being unemployed.”
On Tuesday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that places of worship would be allowed to reopen under a strict set of regulations.
Ramaphosa told South Africans that a maximum of 50 people would be allowed to gather, while wearing of masks during services would also be compulsory.
Alberts wants the same courtesy to be granted to restaurants.
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The association will make submissions to government asking it to allow restaurants to reopen on June 1.
“But when the same application has not been applied to restaurants to reopen but has been given to an alternative sector we have no alternative choice but to demand an explanation,” says Alberts.
“We want to enquire on the process that was been used and the difference that government feels is exposed to gatherings of 50 in religious establishments that would not be the same application to restaurants.”