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There were reports that no security guards were present during the alleged McDonald's assault.
Picture: Collage / Facebook Rybrox
McDonald’s South Africa has launched an investigation following a viral video showing a male customer allegedly assaulting a female employee at its Kenilworth branch in Cape Town.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, has gained significant attention after the video amassed more than one million views on Facebook and spread across social media platforms.
The company acknowledged that an incident occurred between a customer and one of its employees.
“We are aware of a video circulating online showing an altercation between a customer and one of our employees on Monday, March 17.
“We take the safety of our employees and customers very seriously and have instituted a full investigation into the matter,” said Daniel Padiachy, chief marketing officer at McDonald’s South Africa.
According to information provided to News24 by a company employee, the employee was allegedly assaulted by an intoxicated customer who forced his way into the kitchen and physically shoved her.
Reports say the customer claimed he had waited more than two hours for his food order.
His claims were denied by workers who were on duty.
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There were also allegations that no security guards were present during the incident.
A source allegedly told News24 that the incident was not isolated and that there had been previous instances where employees had been targeted at the same location.
The source indicated that despite being visibly distressed following the assault, the female employee was reportedly required to finish her work shift.
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The video footage shows a tall white male standing in the kitchen area behind the counter.
The area he is in is restricted to McDonald’s customers.
He appeared to have passed one employee who was at the cashier’s desk and was assisting another customer.
The employee that the customer is allegedly accosting can be seen and heard on video saying the man must wait for his food.
The male customer is then seen raising his hand with two fingers extended before abruptly pushing the female worker.
He can be heard saying he’s been waiting for two hours while the woman responds by questioning his claims, asking “Which two hours?”.
She immediately responds by telling him to stop pushing her.
The employee and the customer then get into an altercation.
The footage shows her holding a chip fryer, which she appears to use defensively while the male continues his aggressive behaviour, attempting to strike her.
Meanwhile, a male colleague attempts to intervene by moving between the perpetrator and his colleague.
The woman confronts the customer, asking: “Who do you think you are to hit a woman?”
The male customer moves out of the camera’s frame but remains in the kitchen area. He can be heard calling her a “piece of s***”.
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The video also shows male patrons entering the area behind the counter to intervene.
Meanwhile, other customers close to the person recording can be heard saying the customer behind the counter is intoxicated.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with many calling for accountability and improved safety measures for fast food workers.
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