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Mzoli's

Coordinates: 33°58′35″S 18°34′11″E / 33.97639°S 18.56972°E / -33.97639; 18.56972
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Mzoli's
Tourists outside Mzoli's in April 2006
Map
LocationGugulethu township, Cape Town, South Africa
Coordinates33°58′35″S 18°34′11″E / 33.97639°S 18.56972°E / -33.97639; 18.56972
OwnerMzoli Ngcawuzele
TypeButcher shop
Restaurant
Nightclub
Genre(s)Deep house
Kwaito
Cape jazz
Marimba
CapacitySeveral hundred
Opened2003
Closed2021

Mzoli's[note 1] was a butchery in Gugulethu, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. Since Mzoli's opened in early 2003, the restaurant had become a popular gathering spot for Cape Town residents and a tourist attraction. It was praised by international visitors including restaurateur Jamie Oliver. Mzoli's was criticized by local residents and the media for its lack of safety, due to the prevalence of gangs. The restaurant closed indefinitely in May 2021 due to several factors.

History

[edit]

Mzoli's opened in early 2003 in Gugulethu,[4][5] a neighbourhood around 20 kilometres (12 mi) from of the centre of Cape Town.[6] Mzoli's was a "do-it-yourself" eatery.[7] It provided meat to customers, who then enlisted independent vendors operating braai stalls on-site to grill the meat and prepare meals.[7] Mzoli's owner, Mzoli Ngcawuzele, obtained start-up funding from the Development Bank of South Africa.[8] An economic study by the University of Cape Town said that Ngcawuzele had moved "from selling meat informally from a garage, to owning one of the most popular hangouts in Cape Town".[9]

On November 19, 2006, over 40 people, including tourists and Democratic Alliance councillor Masizole Mnqasela were arrested in a police raid outside Mzoli's for drinking in public. The restaurant did not sell alcohol, but Ngcawuzele explained that he could not stop people from bringing their own.[10] Three years later, Mnqasela sued the police for his wrongful arrest. He won the lawsuit, and received 100,000 South African rand in compensation.[11]

In May 2017, a person from Johannesburg was stabbed outside Mzoli's, leading to concerns about the area's safety.[12] In 2018, Mzoli's was temporarily closed due to a car in front of the butchery being set alight in a protest for better housing.[1] In 2020, amidst rumours that Mzoli Ngcawuzele had died, the Daily Sun reported that he was "still alive and well" and was celebrating his 66th birthday.[13]

In May 2021, the restaurant was closed indefinitely.[14] Mzoli Ngcawuzele's daughter Sisanda Mangele said it closed due to "a lot of things, from physical safety to the state of the economy and restrictions of the pandemic".[15][14] A restaurant called Teez Lounge occupies the site where Mzoli's was.[16]

Reception

[edit]
Mzoli's in 2010

Mzoli's became one of Cape Town's most popular gathering spots.[8][5] Customers played music from their parked cars,[8] and the butchery became known as a hub for deep house and kwaito music.[2] It attracted locals, television stars, DJs, politicians, business people, tourists, and college students.[8][2]

In 2013, the non-profit news agency GroundUp reported that regular customers often felt unsafe in the establishment, due to the prevalence of gangs.[8]

British chef Jamie Oliver featured Mzoli's on the cover of his magazine in April 2009.[17][18] He described Mzoli's as "sexy" and praised the "incredible flavor" of the meat.[3] He added that due to the hot temperature in South Africa they can't hang meat like in Europe so they would just "kill it, gut it, skin it and eat it".[19] Tina Walsh of The Guardian called it "a big open-air shack" which "has a devoted following".[4]

See also

[edit]

Media related to Mzoli's at Wikimedia Commons

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Also known as Mzoli's Place,[1] Mzoli's Meat,[2] Mzoli's Butchery[3] or Kwa-Mzoli.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Lukas, Byron (5 May 2021). "Mzoli's Place closes its doors for now". Cape Town Etc. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Unathi Kondile. "Mzoli's Meat". Youth Radio. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2007.
  3. ^ a b c "Sizzling times at Cape Town's hottest hangout". CNN. 19 April 2010. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b Walsh, Tina (7 April 2016). "Barbecue and beats in Cape Town's Gugulethu township". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b Allen, Karen (11 December 2010). "Street life in tarnished township". Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ^ Busgeeth, Karishma; Rivett, Ulrike (7 July 2004). "The use of a spatial information system in the management of HIV/AIDS in South Africa". International Journal of Health Geographics. 3 (1): 13. doi:10.1186/1476-072X-3-13. ISSN 1476-072X. PMC 471560. PMID 15239839.
  7. ^ a b Nkalane, Michael (3 July 2018). "Inside Mzoli's home". Independent Online. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e Majivolo, Thandile (26 June 2013). "Mzoli's: the "Pride" of Gugulethu". GroundUp. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  9. ^ Ana Deumert and Nkululeko Mabandla (18–20 October 2006). "Language, Communication Networks and Economic Participation, Towards an Inclusive Economy" (PDF). University of Cape Town. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
  10. ^ Nicholson, Zara; Williams, Murray (20 November 2006). "Restaurant raid nets DA councillor". Independent Online. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  11. ^ Witten, Jade (2 October 2009). "Judge rules he was locked up without reason". Cape Argus. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Mzoli's in Gugulethu not safe, say patrons after stabbing". Power FM. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  13. ^ Makora, Misheck (11 October 2020). "Mzoli: I'm still alive and well". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  14. ^ a b Masweneng, Kgaugelo (5 May 2021). "Tourism goes cold as popular shisanyama, Mzoli's Place, closes its doors". SowetanLIVE. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  15. ^ Magadla, Mahlohonolo (6 May 2021). "Cape Town's popular shisanyama, Mzoli's Place shuts down indefinitely". News24. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  16. ^ Nyakunengwa, Chenai (15 December 2022). "Best braai spots in Cape Town to enjoy the Day of Reconciliation". Cape Town Etc. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Jamie magazine". Jamie magazine. No. 2. 24 February 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  18. ^ "'Mzoli's Place is heaven'". News24. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  19. ^ Fairbanks, Eve (9 July 2010). "At the World Cup, Searching for the 'Real' South Africa". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2022.

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