Whopping R80‚000 plus restaurant bill is NOT Zuma’s

31 May 2016 - 17:38 By Julia Madibogo
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A wealthy patron who splurged R80‚359 in one night at Signature restaurant in Morningside‚ Johannesburg‚ is not President Jacob Zuma and his wives.

The bill which was said to belong to Zuma actually belongs to another patron.
The bill which was said to belong to Zuma actually belongs to another patron.

The presidency refuted the assertion on Tuesday as the claim‚ along with a copy of the restaurant bill‚ went viral on social media.

The receipt‚ which can easily contend for the title of the most expensive eatery bill to surface online‚ shows that the table of ten spent R73‚053.50 - mostly on booze - and finished it off with a tip of R7‚305.50 on May 12.

Sadly‚ we can’t answer the question “Who are these people?”

A general manager at the restaurant who refused to be named confirmed the legitimacy of the receipt‚ but denied reports that the president and his wives were ever at the restaurant.

President Zuma's spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga said: "I have seen the receipt. It does not belong to the president as he was not in the country on the day. He was in Uganda at the inauguration of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Kampala. We don’t know who did this."

The bill shows that in addition to food - including four Langoustines at an eye-watering R3‚200‚ lamb shank for R255 and salmon confit for R295 - the customer spent R65‚198.50 at the bar.

The list of expensive drinks included 30 doubles of 26-year-old Glenfiddich whisky for R29‚700‚ six bottles of Veuve Clicquot NV Champagne for R8‚700‚ two bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal Brut for R17‚000 and two bottles of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose‚ a snip at R4‚600.

Bottles of water for the table cost R495.

Signature restaurant‚ which is owned by mogul and professional civil engineer Desmond Mabuza‚ hosts well-heeled customers including politicians‚ businessmen and celebrities.

Even the rich like a freebie‚ so at least they got 13 hot rolls thrown in for free.

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