The Lawns, an upmarket restaurant enclaved by the majestic Table Mountain and Camps Bay’s plush real estate, has found itself in serious trouble for allegedly posing as an essential service provider.
The Lawns faces accusations of fraud
The restaurant faced backlash on social media after announcing that it had been approved to reopen as an essential service.
The now-deleted posts were shared on Facebook and Instagram, noting that The Lawns had obtained a certificate allowing them to provide take-away and delivery services to the Atlantic Seaboard.
Customers from Sea Point, Greenpoint, Clifton, Bakoven and Camps Bay were encouraged to contact a WhatsApp number to place their orders, with marked-up items like cottage pies, baked bread, lasagne — and even take-away coffee — on the menu.
CIPC confirms Cape Town restuarant is being investigated
Consequently, the reaction was not what the owners of The Lawns may have anticipated. South Africans who understand the newly implemented lockdown regulations very clearly lambasted the restaurant for its ignorance.
Below the comment section of the restaurant’s controversial post, people were outraged that the business had completely ignored the lockdown rules and placed the lives of its employees in danger amid the rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) of South Africa was forced to clear the air of uncertainty around this controversial certificate that was apparently awarded to The Lawns.
After all, the latter is neither a grocery store nor is it an informal trader. So, how exactly did The Lawns obtain its essential services certificate?
We have made contact with the restaurant and officials from the City of Cape Town. However, a response was not been received at the time of publishing this article.
The CIPC has stepped forward, though, and confirmed in a tweet that the restaurant had allegedly “applied fraudulently, and the certificate has been revoked.”
The companies registration authority stated that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) “will be taking legal action against fraudulent applications.”
Businesses found guilty of defrauding the lockdown system could face a hefty fine, lose their operating business licence or worse, criminal charges.