​Lerato Mailoane
Government has partnered with the restaurant industry to fast-track coronavirus vaccinations ahead of the festive season.
The industry is fearing a return of COVID-19 restrictions during the festive season which is a peak trading period.
"If we haven't learned any lessons from the recent July unrest and looting, we may endure more suffering, if we do not work together to rebuild the economy of our province.  
"The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down economic activities across the Tourism and Restaurant sector and the effects have been devastating," said Economic Development MEC Parks Tau.
He was addressing the restaurant industry's vaccination drive Lucas Restaurant in Sandton on Monday.
MEC Tau said the partnership is aimed at tackling the global health pandemic that is threatening livelihoods and regressing gains in the restaurant sector economy.
"Our economy took a beating, jobs we lost, businesses were closed never to reopen…yet we still have 15 million population which remains our asset. Because we cannot reignite the economy without patrons, staff, employers and suppliers within the value-chain," he said.
The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) said at least 200 restaurants have been invited to bring along their employees to get their jabs.
The MEC said he is delighted to witness the drive as it will also allow him to understand the challenges that face the industry.
"This is also in a bid to mitigate the ongoing closures of restaurants across the country," Tau added.
According to RASA, more than 1000 restaurants have closed down due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The closures impact both staff and service providers such as food and alcohol suppliers who rely on restaurants for their businesses to stay afloat.
"Restaurant closures are such a huge blow to the economy because they bring about a sense of community with our local watering holes, a sense of familiarity, and a large part of what makes a city or town attractive to live in," said RASA CEO Wendy Alberts. 
"Communities are indeed built on food and a good local restaurant can make a huge difference for a town of any size, especially for attracting visitors. We need to get vaccinated so that our industry can thrive again," she said adding that the sector was one of the cornerstone of the economy.