DURBAN - THE Restaurant Association of SA (Rasa) says the industry would not survive further restrictions as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise and the country braces for the announcement of possible stricter restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
Rasa chief executive Wendy Alberts said the association was aware that the government was discussing how to manage the third wave of the pandemic.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told the ANC’s Northern Cape elective conference on Saturday there were indications that the country was entering the third wave.
“Our ability to manage this phase of the pandemic will depend on people’s behaviour, the speed at which we can vaccinate eligible citizens and the extent to which we can contain further spread,” he said.
The president urged the public to remain vigilant and to protect themselves and each other.
Alberts said Rasa was open to looking at workable solutions that would keep the industry mobilised and have a minimal impact financially and operationally.
“The restaurant industry has been the industry most impacted at every turn and at every level.
“Hardship has been at the forefront for all our businesses and staff. We are doing everything we can to save jobs.”
While the industry was in the early stages of recovery, she said, hundreds of restaurants had closed and thousands of jobs were lost. “The restaurant industry will not survive if any restrictions are [imposed] on us. We simply cannot tolerate any type of negative impact or face another liquor ban or any type of restriction as we move into our most difficult trading months.”
She said that the industry was committed to adhering to the regulations by keeping customers and staff safe at all times, ensuring that all health and safety standards in restaurants were executed at the highest level.
“Rasa will support restaurants in daily communications, urging all patrons, restaurateurs, staff, suppliers and all those associated with the restaurant industry to continue adhering to the protocols and regulations,” said Alberts.
The Federated Hospitality Association of SA (Fedhasa) said statistics released by Statistics SA regarding insolvencies and liquidations in the accommodation, food and beverage sector indicated how financially damaged the sector was. For the sector, the total number of liquidations increased by 55.3% in the first four months of 2021 compared with the first four months of 2020.
THE MERCURY