Omelette meal ends in racism fracas

A DISAGREEMENT over the consistency of an omelette turned ugly yesterday and ended with two men accusing each other of being racist.

Both Xolela Mangcu and Francois Irvin laid charges of crimen injuria against each other. Mangcu is an associate professor of sociology at UCT and Irvin owns the Haas Collective restaurant in Buitenkant Street.

Mangcu said yesterday he had been to the coffee shop a few times and had enjoyed their omelettes so much that he had taken his wife Siphokhazi with him on Wednesday.

He returned yesterday morning and said he had ordered a “soft” omelette, as the one he had on Wednesday was not to his liking and he had sent it back.

He said the chef came out and asked him what he meant by saying he wanted a soft omelette.

“I told her and she walked away, saying to me ‘ you probably don’t know how an omelette is made’ and she gave me a lecture. I have been to many establishments and have never been told that,” he said.

Mangcu said he called the assistant manager and told her he didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but he had been treated disrespectfully.

Mangcu said he went on to enjoy his coffee, but 45 minutes later Irvin arrived and in a rude manner said to Mangcu that he (Irvin) believed Mangcu had a problem with the way they made omelettes and told him to get out. Mangcu said Irvin told him that “criminals like you don’t belong in my restaurant. I am going to call the police”.

Mangcu said he had never before been thrown out of a restaurant.

Mangcu said to be labelled a criminal had hurt him. As a black person, he said, it was depressing not knowing how your day would turn out. “You can’t predict if a racist experience will mess up your day.”

Mangcu called his lawyer, who advised him to lay a charge at the police station.

Irvin, however, accuses Mangcu of being racist. He said Mangcu had called the chef, Claudine Adams, a “coloured servant” who he did not want to deal with and ordered her to get the manager.

He said Mangcu had been at the restaurant a few times and was always rude to the staff. He claimed the staff were fearful of Mangcu because of his attitude.

Irvin denied calling Mangcu a criminal. “I didn’t say he was a criminal. I said I will call the police,” Irvin said. He and Adams went to lay a case at the police station yesterday afternoon, but by last night he was still waiting for a case number.

Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed that Mangcu had laid a charge of crimen injuria.