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Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]

A GROUP of about 10 women who had attended the Mother’s Day celebrations hosted by True Elegance two weeks back on Tuesday besieged the company’s premises in Bulawayo demanding their money back after they were served substandard food.

However, the company said they can only offer food, not money.

The women two weeks back gathered at Euphorie Events in Killarney where women were seen dressed to the nines to show that it was a special day with some travelling as far as Kezi and Plumtree.

However, after lunch, social media was awash with pictures of the substandard food and children of the woman who had attended complaining claiming the company had robbed them.

True Elegance promised to refund the women with lunch buffets and issued an apology to their customers.

One of the women who could only be identified as Mrs Ndlovu said her United Kingdom-based daughter paid US$60 for her to enjoy Mother’s Day however, she claimed she was only treated to rotten meat and hot drinks.

They did not manage to see the owner of the business as she is said to be out of the country.

She said they were not happy with the service they had and did not want anything else apart from their money back.

“We only found the manager here and he said he cannot give any money because the owners are not around. He said we should choose a representative who will come tomorrow at the end of work day for the final decision that is going to be taken and so we can be notified on when to expect our refunds,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

Another mother, Mrs Portia Ndlovu said her South African-based daughter paid tickets for three people.

She said she wants her daughter’s money to be refunded because the only thing they enjoyed was the Soul Brother’s music which they occasionally danced to.

“My stomach has been giving me problems ever since that day and that is why l do not want their food but rather l want my daughter’s money back. If she fixes this problem l am sure my daughter won’t mind paying for her fathers on Father’s Day because it would show the owner is an honest person who stands up to her mistakes,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

She said they are all waiting for tomorrow when they will be told when to expect their money back even if it’s just three-quarters of what their children paid.

Chronicle got in touch with Ms Patscencia Vundla the chief executive officer of True Elegance said at the moment the only thing they can offer the mothers was the buffet meal.

She said there were a lot of mothers and their children who seem to be in agreement with what they are offering.

She said they are trying by all means to rectify the mistake that was done.

“Unfortunately, we cannot refund the women with money. The majority of them are fine with having the buffet. As it is we have a number of women who have been coming through to get their meals because they are saying they will not be available on the day of the buffet and we will be announcing the date of the main event soon. Besides the event went on and everything else went on like it had been planned and people even finished all their food but because l know they are my customers and l need to treat them with respect l am humbling myself and looking for a way that can make everyone see how we are acknowledging the mistake that we did,” said Ms Vundla.

@flora_sibanda

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