Eatery named in rape court case closes

MAMMAS Shebeen, the restaurant where one of Nelson Mandela’s grandsons allegedly raped a minor, has shut its doors. Owner Yaw Dwomoh said the establishment in Greenside, Johannesburg, had suffered reputational and financial damage after the incident that was too serious in the end.

The young Mandela, who cannot be named until he has pleaded in court, was arrested in August after a 15-yearold schoolgirl claimed he had raped her in the yard at the back of Mammas Shebeen.

The 24-year-old is out on bail and has indicated that he will plead not guilty. He maintains that he had consensual sex with the girl, who allegedly told him she was 16. He is due back in court tomorrow.

Dwomoh said he had to tell his 20 employees on Wednesday that it wasn’t financially viable to continue trading.

One of the staffers, a chef, had made a statement under oath that was handed in during the rape accused’s bail application.

Goola Singh said he saw the accused and the girl “kissing passionately” in a passage at the back of the restaurant.

“I noticed nothing untoward between the man and the woman outside my window. If there had been noises of [a] struggle, I would have heard,” he said in his statement.

Dwomoh said his business had taken a severe knock since the incident.

“We’ve gradually lost business and you end up not being able to pay suppliers, creditors, the landlord or staff.

“It’s been very stressful,” Dwomoh said. “My turnover in November last year was around R360 000; this year it

That incident has cost a guy his livelihood and 20 people are now unemployed

was R128 000. It just isn’t sustainable to stay open.”

He had to sell his Volvo S60 in September to try to resuscitate the business, Dwomoh said.

“Basically, that incident has cost a guy [himself] his livelihood and 20 people are now unemployed.”

But, he added: “What is done, is done. I’ve made peace with it and can only look forward from here.”