The owners of The Ark Shisanyama in Kimberley have assured their customers that the removal of the bus, which many residents see as the identity of the business, will not result in the closure of the business.
THE OWNERS of The Ark Shisanyama in Kimberley have assured their customers that the removal of the bus, which many residents see as the identity of the business, will not result in the closure of the business.
According to one of the owners, Kamohelo Minyatsi, they have merely received notice to remove the bus, but there is no threat to their business operations.
“We have received a notice from the traffic officials that we must remove the bus. The concern was that the bus does not have a valid licence disc and that it was taking up parking space. There were apparently complaints that people were unable to use the parking area. We have been having meetings as the owners of the business and decided that we should adhere to the notice. We then decided that we will remove the bus as we need to abide by the law,” said Minyatsi.
He added that it was not an easy decision.
“Many people have come to know our business by the bus. Some do not even know the name of our business and just refer to it as the ‘bus shisanyama’. It is a bitter decision to take as the bus has been part of our business for so many years.
“This has been the third time the bus has been forced to move. We were first operating by the skate park with the bus and had to move. We are still operating at the skate park. We then moved the bus to the open land next to V3 Consulting Engineers. We were again forced to move from that land and we ended up here next to the Cecil John Rhodes statue … and now we hear that the bus again needs to go.
“We will definitely miss its presence.”
Minyatsi added that they are looking at improving their operations.
“Since we will still be operating, we will be looking at making our operational space more convenient for our customers. We need to erect sitting areas and also shade from the sun or rain for customers.
“Those who are regular customers know that the bus was equipped with tables and seating inside. It looked like a restaurant inside where customers could enjoy their meals. The bus was not just taking up space, but was an integral part of our business. We will, however, have to do without it,” he sighed.
