Fast food restaurant Wimpy landed on the Twitter trends list this week.
This comes after Twitter user @Shokwakhe16 shared that she went to Wimpy at Clearwater Mall for breakfast and asked that she be served by a South African instead of a Zimbabwean waiter.
“Today I had breakfast at Wimpy Clearwater Mall a waiter by the name of Nomatter from Zimbabwe came to serve us at our table. I politely told her that I want to be served by a South African. Normalize refusing to be served by aliens #PutSouthAfricansFirst,” she wrote.
Today I had breakfast at Wimpy Clearwater Mall a waiter by the name of Nomatter from Zimbabwe came to serve us at our table. I politely told her that I want to be served by a South African. Normalize refusing to be served by aliens #PutSouthAfricansFirst
— Shokwakhe (@Shokwakhe16) October 11, 2020
Twitter users quickly attacked her, saying she was xenophobic and that there was no need for her to tell the waiter not to serve her.
@matigary wrote: “An idiot goes to a foreign-owned restaurant chain to spend South African rands and complains about being served by a foreigner? Why didn’t you go to spend at a South African owned restaurant? Your brain is on the wrong side.”
An idiot goes to a foreign owned restaurant chain to spend South African rands and complains about being served by a foreigner?
— mmatigari (@matigary) October 11, 2020
Why didn’t you go to spend at a South African owned restaurant?
Your brain is on the wrong side. pic.twitter.com/C9JP7we0D4
@Lulama_ wrote: “I hope @wimpy_sa told her to leave instead and did not give in to her demands. Employers have a responsibility to create safe spaces for their employees.
I hope @wimpy_sa told her to leave instead and did not give in to her demands. Employers have a responsibility to create safe spaces for their employees.
— Lulama (@Lulama_) October 11, 2020
While some people attacked her, others came out in support, suggesting that the government intervenes and that all entry-level jobs should be for South Africans. Some said they did not care the companies in questions were from other countries, if they operated in South Africa then its citizens must benefit.
@YoungTido wrote: “#PutSouthAfricansFirstNow with 52% I suggest the government intervenes and all entry level jobs should be for South Africans. We do not care if its companies from other countries if they operate in our country our citizens must benefit... #Wimpy.”
#PutSouthAfricansFirstNow with 52% I suggest the government intervenes and all entry level jobs should be for South Africans. We do not care if its companies from other countries if they operate in our country our citizens must benefit... #Wimpy
— GadgetSwag🌟🐐 (@YoungTido) October 12, 2020
@Maps_pj wrote: “This nonsense of Foreigner Waiters has come to an end. #WeStandWithShokwakhe We are not gonna be served by illegal foreigners, they must be fired and deported. #16OctoberCleanSA.”
This nonsense of Foreigner Waiters has come to an end. #WeStandWithShokwakhe We are not gonna be served by illegal foreigners, they must be fired and deported. #16OctoberCleanSA pic.twitter.com/J9BsTi05Iy
— Put South Africans First🇿🇦 (@Maps_pj) October 12, 2020
Another user @shy_mzamo wrote that he was going out to eat this month and dared Wimpy to give him a foreigner – he would do as @Shokwakhe16 did.
Earlier this year, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni openly stated that businesses in the restaurant industry must employ more South African staff members. Mboweni said that “life after lockdown” must put the workforce of this country first.
Mboweni was discussing the potential for a “new economy” in the country. He said that almost all restaurant staff in South Africa were not from this country and that he wanted this to change going forward, without jeopardising the futures of foreign nationals who already have jobs in the service industry.