Whether government took notice is another story, but thousands of South Africans today united behind the #jobssavelives campaign to try and save the hospitality, restaurant and wine industries from a covid-19 death.
This time around, though, the mostly silent protests were not marked by violence nor the destruction of property. Instead, an almost eerily silence overtook many of the nation’s once bustling cities and towns. The message was loud and clear, though: everyone will suffer if the approximately 800 000 people in these industries permanently lose their jobs.
The “Million Seats on the Streets” protest was initiated by the Restaurant Association of South Africa (Rasa), but quickly spread like wildfire on social media. And today, thousands of chefs, cooks, waitrons, farmers and their workers as well as other related services employees were bowled over by the massive support. At the heart of the protest was the controversial liquor sales ban in accordance with government’s covid-19 regulations. This continues to have a bloody impact on many industries.
An estimated 1 million jobs will be lost in the alcohol industry alone. ONE MILLION JOBS. Everything from Wine farmers, to Administraton, drivers & logistics, down to the owners of local taverns. Even manufacturing of Glass. Devastating knock on effects. https://t.co/8mr9MR4nEJ
— AKA (@akaworldwide) July 22, 2020
Support for the hospitality, restaurant and wine industries came from all corners of Mzansi. The award-winning rapper AKA posted a series of tweets showing them some love. Supa Mega reminded his 4.5 million followers that although saving lives were important, so were livelihoods. He tweeted, “The alcohol industry employs so many people and is so large that it makes up 4.4% of the GDP (look it up, it’s a FACT). You cannot simply switch that off without a PLAN and without WARNING.”
Countless chefs, waiters, winery workers, hoteliers & tourism operators line the #Stellenbosch streets supporting #JobsSaveLives protesting irrational government laws banning the tourism and wine industry.
Are you listening @CyrilRamaphosa ?? pic.twitter.com/OMiI2j3Yyv— FarmerMike™ 👨🌾 (@mikeratcliffe) July 22, 2020
Michael Ratcliffe, a highly respected figure in both the local and global wine industries, also pleaded with pres. Cyril Ramaphosa to overturn the ban. He was nominated for the USA Wine Star Award for Global Innovator of the Year in 2015 and 2017.
Countless chefs, waiters, winery workers, hoteliers & tourism operators line the #Stellenbosch streets supporting #JobsSaveLives protesting irrational government laws banning the tourism and wine industry.
Are you listening @CyrilRamaphosa ?? pic.twitter.com/OMiI2j3Yyv— FarmerMike™ 👨🌾 (@mikeratcliffe) July 22, 2020
Among the media who reported on the protest were GroundUp photojournalist Ashraf Hendricks. He tweeted that protestors in Bree Street in the Mother City were chanting “Jobs save lives” while police tried their best to keep protestors off the street. Herman Mashaba, the former mayor of Johannesburg and People’s Dialogue founder, also pledged his full support. Musician Neil Büchner attended the Drakenstein protests.
1000 empty seats in #heartwellington.#jobssavelives in solidarity of @visitwellZA and @visitpaarl wine, tourism and wine industry. pic.twitter.com/n5E6U7VABf
— Neil Büchner (@NeilBuchner) July 22, 2020
YES! I am in full support of South Africans in the hospitality & tourism industry protesting today. #JobsSaveLives! The erratic and nonsensical lockdown regulations are forcing more South Africans into starvation much faster than the virus ever could! https://t.co/guTTZhgSsi
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) July 22, 2020
Protesters chanting “jobs save lives” in Bree street. Street has also been cordoned off by traffic officers now. @GroundUp_News #restaurantprotest #JobsSaveLives pic.twitter.com/VFt6jKI2xT
— Ashraf Hendricks (@AshrafRSA) July 22, 2020
#jobssavelives: “Biggest restaurant protest ever in SA”
