Dear Mr President, please show some mercy
Charlotte Oberholzer, Mossel Bay:
Dear President Ramaphosa,
Many will laugh at this letter and say the president will never see this, as I am a nobody. But I have faith to send this and hope you share this.
I am a woman who owns a beauty spa in the beautiful town of Mossel Bay. In this town there are over 45 nail salons and beauty spas. That's not counting hair salons. I have four single moms working for me with no government money for their kids, because they are working. Or were working until lockdown.
Now, being locked down, we have R0 income and yes, the UIF (when it finally pays out) will help a little bit. They can then choose to pay rent or buy food for their kids. So actually they will not survive. If we open at Level 1 only, the chance of our businesses surviving looks like 0%.
So in one small town - Mossel Bay - 60 plus businesses will not survive. (I am only speaking of the beauty and hair industry; there will be lots more).
Let's say each business has just three employees. We speak of 180 families in a small town of Mossel Bay - destitute.
The beauty industry is one of the most hygienic environments. My spa is 240m2. With eight people - if each therapist has one client, plus my cleaner and me in the spa, that gives 30m2 per person.
So, nine people can sit in close proximity in a taxi for 45 minutes, plus you can sit across a table at a bank to speak to the sales person for an hour to sort out your banking needs, but my salon cannot open till Level 1?
How is it any more unsafe if the therapist and client wear a mask and sanitise their hands than going to Pick n Pay? Please explain this to me.
Why must four single moms (and thousands more) suffer for no apparent reason?
Please remember: getting your hair done or having some pampering at a spa - nails or waxing - does a lot to boost morale and make people feel just a little better about themselves and their current situation.
President Ramaphosa, I pray for you for wisdom and understanding and a listening ear to make decisions that are right. Please hear the plight of your people as we submit to you and will still honour you and plead for mercy in Jesus' name. Amen.