The EFF protested at the Steakhouse and Grill restaurant in Braamfontein last week. This comes after Adam Catzavelos, whose family owns the business, made racist remarks on social media about black people. Picture: Twitter
We wonder if the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has heard of the “law of unintended consequences” and, if it has, whether it even cares.
When the rabble rousers descended on the Smokehouse and Grill restaurant last week – dancing on the tables and singing – they were protesting about racist businessperson Adam Catzevlos, whose family owns the business. Catzavelos sparked a storm after a video emerged of him on a beach in Greece, using the k-word as he expressed his joy about there being no black people around.
His family effectively disowned him after the incident, removing his shareholding and dismissing him from their businesses.
This was not good enough for the EFF, who are known for grabbing any opportunity to do some political grandstanding.
According to the Catzavelos family, EFF members threatened restaurant staff during the protest, including surrounding a manager, brandishing steak knives they had picked up from the tables.
The result: the family has decided to close the business. Although poor trading conditions played a part in the decision, the EFF’s intimidation was the last straw which caused them to shut up shop and retrench all 29 staff.
If you claim to care for poor people and workers, EFF, this is a strange way to show it.
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