According to The Africa Report, South Africa's tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. Between 2020 and 2021, a number of tourism facilities, including hotels, have had to shut their doors permanently.
One such place is popular shisanyama, Mzoli's Place (Kwa Mzoli) which is located in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Over the years, the popular eatery has attracted a number of local and international travellers who’d look forward to having a lekker braai and pap meal while enjoying beers at the spot.
Now, Mzoli’s Place will be shutting down indefinitely because of the pandemic.
Speaking to Dispatch Live, the owners of Mzoli’s expressed that they aren't sure if the popular eatery will ever recover from the impact of the pandemic.
READ MORE | Meet Rita Zwane, the founder of Imbizo Shisanyama (Busy Corner)
“It’s a lot of things, from physical safety to the state of the economy and restrictions of the pandemic," Sisanda Mangele, the daughter of businessman Mzoli Ngcawuzele, told the publication.
"It’s not really the end of the journey because we are still assessing if it’s worth the risk. We are waiting to see if tourism will get back on its feet. If not, we might have to let go completely."
According to Mangele, safety is also a major concern for the establishment since she alleges to have been kidnapped at one point. The incident was not the first tragedy to hit the business, back in 2018, protestors partially burnt Mzoli’s Place during a housing protest.
Many people have taken to Twitter to express how they feel about the closure of the iconic restaurant:
