Sometimes people make mistakes. Those mistakes are then compounded by other mistakes. And when a few more mistakes are thrown into the mix, a black gentleman and his family are left feeling rather insulted by the posh 12 Apostles hotel whose restaurant they were trying to enjoy dinner at.

Now, we like to give businesses the benefit of the doubt before we call them dirty names, so let’s get to the nitty-gritty of how this all played out.

A certain Mr. Mpofu attempted to book a table for six at the hotel’s Azure restaurant, and was told there was one available. He then dropped his surname and was told there were none available. His daughter phoned a white friend of hers, who rang up requesting a table for six at the same time. Low and behold she was able to book. Mistake numero uno.

Despite being offended, the Mpofus decided to proceed to the restaurant, using the booking name that had been successful. When they arrived they were told no booking existed, with management trying to accommodate them in a separate section of the restaurant, which they declined. Mistakes dos and tres, 12 Apostles.

The 12 Apostles’ General Manager Michael Nel said the incident occured as the result of a reservations error, along with the following taken from traveller24:

I think it is important that it must be categorically stated that The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, and the owners who are proud South Africans themselves, have zero tolerance when it comes to prejudice of any kind, be it racism or any other form of discrimination,” he wrote in the comment section.

He proceeded to explain how the table Philcox had booked was accidentally relocated due to a ‘human error.’ He also mentioned that “they were offered the exclusive private dining venue on a complimentary basis, as at the time, it was the only available table in the house”.

The incident went viral after Martina Philcox, the woman who made the booking after Mr. Mpofu had been unable to do so, shared the story on her blog under the name ‘Using my white privilege’.

So it seems either an unfortunate set of mistakes, somehow cosmically aligned, came together and caused this event or there are less than tasteful forces at work here. I suppose one could also argue that the people responsible for this suffered a finger spasm in front of the keyboard, typed out some drivel and accidentally clicked ‘post’.

Like we said, we try and give people the benefit of the doubt, but that doubt can only really extend so far before it becomes a bit silly, innit?!