Bernadette Lifshitz isn’t going to be very popular with her staff or customers, after her disappearing act left many folks to pick up the costly pieces.

Lifshitz was the owner of Occasions, a boutique fashion shop at Canal Walk Shopping Centre, although she has now vanished after concocting a lie about her business moving to a different location.

According to former Occasions manager Ruby Fortuin, staff “received a notice that they should pack up all the clothes and that their money would be paid to them”.

Cape Talk spoke with Fortuin:

Her husband was supposed to come from Israel and talk to us to let us know where we are going to, which now we know was all a lie.

Personally they owe me for 12 years and half of my salary for February and all my commission.

Nothing like your boss doing a runner to make you want to work for yourself.

Also left up the creek sans paddle are suppliers and customers:

Owner of Iconic Designs, Martie Walker says Occasions owes her R65 000 for the dresses she supplied them with, while Liza Cliff has been paying off a R14 000 matric ball dress for her daughter since January and was shocked to discover that the shop has been closed down.

Cliff says she’s planning to lay a charge with the South African Police Services.

According to reports, Bernadette is believed to have moved to Tel Aviv in Israel.

The topic was raised on ‘The Kieno Kammies Show’, so here’s the audio from that chat:

The social media pages for Occasions Boutique seem to have vanished as well, so Lifshitz has done her homework.

Poor form, Bernadette – come home, we know some people who might want to chat with you.

[source:capetalk]