Isobella Volschenk, a widow-pensioner, has been the owner-manager of Gateway Laundromat for 14 years.
A gracious lady, whose attitude to service excellence is always very apparent. She was closed down by Covid-19 regulations on 21 March ruling that as a Laundromat she was not considered to be an essential service. She had no option but to comply. Imagine her disbelief soon afterwards, when she saw advertised in a local newspaper another Laundromat under the heading Essential Services Operating, in the same town! She made several attempts during the next six weeks to get an answer from the authorities as to how this situation could happen, where one laundromat was allowed to be open and another was closed down.
These attempts failed. She was met with apathy and deaf ears. Desperate, she then sought help from the Municipality and spoke to the correct authority there, who was as perplexed as she was as to why she had been closed down. She re-opened her business again on 4 May.
She calculated that two weeks longer, and she would have been bankrupt.
Immediately Law Enforcement paid her a visit. She provided them with covering documents that she had since been given, together with the advert showing that an exact same business as hers was advertised as an essential service, while she had been forced to close. To date, she remains open.
She and her staff suffered, completely unnecessarily, from stress and monetary loss; as it stands, she is now behind with the rent, while the majority of her clients who have no access to private laundry facilities, suffered as well.
If the authorities had simply taken a little time to investigate the situation an injustice could have been avoided so much sooner.
This is an appeal for the community to rally around as only South Africans know how and to support her and her staff to get back on their feet again. And I as a very satisfied client of hers can assure you, you will not regret it nor the entire experience of dealing with this utterly positive lady, who continues to make sure your laundry looks like a “presentjie” when you collect it!
