This is a servious allegation. I have forwarded it to the management of Mama Africa for comment.

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It doesnt sound racist at all from me.

Your statement seems slightly contradictory. "I was looking for some really good African food." vs "we had to give up our table for people who would eat dinner". Were you or were you not planning to eat there?

Had you booked? Mama Afrikas gets fairly booked up.

P.S. A lot of whites in South Africa find it racist for only blacks in South Africa to be called Africans. I am white, but I am an African. I was born in Africa, so was my father before him and my great great grandfather. My husband is a 15th generation white African.

I cannot comment on Mama Africa as I haven't eaten there and I await with interest their reply, if any, to Capevideos contact. What I can say is that in 8 years of visiting South Africa I haven't come across any racial incidents. We first went to SA in the very early post-apartheid days and I was particularly interested in the social scene and bearing in mind we went to SA because of the unrest starting in Zimbabwe (where we have relatives)I was particularly interested in how things were evolving. On our first visit I particularly noted in a busy restaurant, Ocean Basket at Century City, how staff operated. I wondered whether white staff would serve white customers and black staff serve black customers - absolutely not, they all were extremely cheerful and I presume had their 'own' tables to serve regardless of which customers sat there.

I have to agree that in a busy restaurant anywhere in the world, management may be reluctant to have tables occupied by customers having a dessert and cocktail when they know they have customers wanting a full meal, it isn't racism it's economics.

If it was racism however, then it was of course unforgivable. I await with interest to see if Mama Africa respond with their explanation.

To me, it just sounds like the manager wanted your table because you were only having dessert and cocktails and not a proper main meal. So, one can understand the manager asking you to sit at the bar if you only wanted sweets.

In Australia, we would also be asked to wait or sit elsewhere if we only wanted sweets and cocktails, especially if the restaurant is know to be busy.

However, you did mention there were empty tables in the restaurant...unless they were also booked. If not, then your treatment sounds very harsh...

As the owner of Mama Africa Restaurant, my first reaction to this ridiculous accusation was to not dignify it with a response. But such unjustified allegations cannot be ignored.

The very reason this restaurant was established was a celebration of our new democracy and the demise of our racist past. Racism of any sort is simply not tolerated in this establishment.

We are a very busy restaurant which is fully booked days in advance, so the allegation that there were open tables is ridiculous, these tables were awaiting the second sitting of diners who had reseved their space to dine and enjoy our restaurant.

Mama Africa is essentially a restaurant, not a coffee shop for desserts and coctails, which are served at our bar. Our policy is to serve diners in our restaurant and beverages in our bar, we simply do not have the space for patrons to use our dining area as a coffee shop at the expense of diners with reservations.

Before accussing our "White Maitre D' of being racist it may be interesting to note that her choice of a life partner happens to be a Black man, so so much for that.

I assure the writer of this derogatory letter that the race issue resides squarely in his mind and has no place in our restaurant.

Yours faithfully,

A. Diamond.(Owner)

Which seems to confirm the reasoning of several of us who responded to the original post.

It is always unfortunate when someone leaves a country feeling bad. South Africa has many problems but in my experience is trying to resolve them, albeit, in the case of rehousing in very decrepit townships, slowly. Despite these problems and the ever recurring queries on safety, it is a beautiful country and again in my experience, its people, of all colours and creeds, are overwhelmingly lovely people. If you are thinking of taking a holiday there, don't be put off, go there see for yourself and I am sure you will be rewarded with a fantastic experience.

When I read this I thought, "This just can't be true." I am glad that Mama Africa were able to put their side of the story.

A high profile restaurant, such as Mama Africa, just would not get away with this sort of thing in the New South Africa. The local press would be onto any hint of racism very fast and hound the perpetrators out of existence.

Howard Neill

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I bumped into this forum by mistaken curiosity.

Thanks Mama Diamond for stating the obvious.

And has anyone else noticed the stunning silence from heymrq since his post?

Come on. Is life in Californa so hectic you have not had time to reply?