Disgusting way to treat patrons and avoid accountability for bad treatment!

On Thursday evening, I decided to take my family to the market at Cape Point Vineyards for dinner.

As regular patrons to the establishment, we always have a good experience, apart from market days where one is sometimes visibly and notably othered due to being a minority.

On this particular evening, I went to get some sushi for my kids (who were with me) and I, then went over to the bar to purchase a glass of Chardonnay and soft drinks. After pouring the wine, the barmen gave me the total and told me that the wine was R140 a glass. I declined to take it as I did not want to pay that amount for a glass of wine and this was met with a lot of resistance from the barman. He became aggressive and told me that he cannot take it back and I said to him that I did not want the wine. He shoved the glass to me across the bar counter. I repeated that I did not want the wine and as he walked away I said I can't believe his attitude, he walked back to where I was standing and antagonizing asked 'What did you say now?

Appalled at this aggression and attitude, I then went over to the manager and tried to explain to him what had happened and how I had been treated so that he could speak to his staff member about his attitude.

The manager had an equally arrogant attitude and told me that the barman did nothing wrong. He completely shrugged off everything that I was saying and made it to be as if I was wrong. He gaslit me and said that it just seems that I was upset that I had to pay R140 for wine. I informed him that I am a regular patron and the issue was not that I was upset about the price, I declined to accept the wine at that price, yes, which is within my rights, however, it was the ATTITUDE and level of aggression displayed by this staff member which I am coming to complain about, not the price of the wine.

He continued to minimise what I said and I got frustrated with him, rightly so, and eventually walked away. He went on to follow me down to the spot where we were sitting telling me to leave and hurling accusations and insults. He gaslit me and turned the entire thing around telling me that I am using profanity in front of my kids and making the entire incident about what I did, while ignoring the bad behaviour of his barman towards a patron.

He came to our table and continued to antagonize and intimidate me in front of my kids and then went on to grab a glass out of my hand and place his fingers in them. He also went on to tell me that I need 'parenting lessons', further insulting and degrading me in front of my children and family. The situation escalated so much that a fellow patron (a white woman) came over and told him to leave us alone. Only then did he back off and walk away from our table.

I felt completely othered and disrespected by this entire incident. My children and I were extremely disturbed by both of these men's aggressive, arrogant and downright violent behaviour. I had to comfort my kids when we got home as they had so many questions as to why this man was being so intimidating towards us.

With South Africa being the most unequal society in the world, we cannot continue to tolerate being treated like second rate citizens. I personally am tired of Cape Town and it's racial shenanigans. We cannot sit back and watch ourselves and fellow people of colour be humiliated, dehumanized and degraded at the hands of white supremacy. Enough is enough!!

Update: The manager went on to take his phone out and record the exchange, I asked him to stop recording and he refused. The engagement on Instagram is further antagonising (they are threatening court if I don’t ‘stop posting the story on social media’.