Sorry, not sorry! That chicken and other cooked foods are not essential goods

Cooked food from South African supermarkets like Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Checkers are not regarded as essential goods, and trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel has again called for their hot-food sections to be closed.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Patel clarified that supermarkets' hot-food sections, like fast-food restaurants, should be closed for the remainder of the lockdown.

“We would like to clarify the situation ... takeaways and restaurants were closed during the initial announcement of the beginning of the lockdown. We also communicated to the supermarkets that their hot-food sections need to be closed.

“The police have also communicated that. We need to ensure that the law, as it stands, is observed. It is very clear what the position is [that the selling of cooked food is not allowed]," said Patel.

Earlier this week, celebrity chef Luyanda Mafanya lost her essential-service permit after she tweeted about delivering cooked food to her clients during the lockdown.

Her now-deleted tweet, which caused a stir, was attached with pictures of cooked chicken and wors.

A number of social media users called Mafanya to order, some even alerting the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).

CIPC replied that the delivery of cooked food was not an essential service under the lockdown regulations and that delivery was allowed only for essential products.

“We will be revoking your application. All revoked applications are handed over to the trade department to proceed with legal action.”

The CIPC’s business registration unit BizPortal also confirmed to Mafanya that her essential-services permit had been revoked and that she would be receiving an e-mail from them.

Mafanya has since issued an apology, saying she misunderstood her category of essential services.

The Lawns in Camps Bay, Cape Town, also lost its permit after sharing on Instagram that it was delivering cooked meals.