It was closed since raid in 2015

entered the premises for the first time since August 2015. The glitzy establishment which sports reflective mirror walls, fondue sets on each table and a spa bath which serves as a giant ice bucket, had remained closed while Maumela pursued justice against the department.

Maumela said the department would now have to pay her for lost earnings during the time the business was not operating.

She said monies owed to her still had to be calculated based on bank statements reflecting how much profit she was making.

She said winning the case also proved that the department had been misled by Gateway Airports Authority Limited (Gaal) and that she was being subjected to personal attacks.

Gaal is the parastatal tasked with the day-to-day running of the Polokwane International Airport.

Maumela said none of the allegations against her had been found to be true, including that she was operating a business on a national key point without permission.

Maumela said it would have been impossible for her to set up the restaurant which she said cost an estimated R10-million without the Gaal management’s permission.

The restaurant had been operating for about five years at the time it was shut down.

She said not being able to run her business was stressful.

“We spent close to R1-million on lawyers. Emotionally it drained us on another level,” Maumela said.

Maumela said she had to depend on earnings made from her other business ventures, including a bus that she hired out and selling stands on her estate.

“It was the toughest two years of my life,” she said, adding she was undecided whether she wanted to continue with the restaurant business.

Maumela said she was not at the scene the day the restaurant was raided as she was visiting the Kruger National Park.

However, those who were present, including her sister-in-law Bongi