President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected the Gauteng Liquor Forum’s request to relax the rules and allow its members to sell alcohol during the national lockdown.
The decision was communicated to the forum’s attorneys on Friday via the offices of the State Attorney.
“The President [Cyril Ramaphosa] and government as a whole remain committed to financially supporting businesses in distress during this period. The President has carefully considered the representations made by the Gauteng Liquor Forum,” the Presidency said in a statement on Saturday.
“These, however, have had to be weighed up against the imperative of all South African businesses and citizens to comply with the lockdown regulations, the health implications of consumption of alcohol and the priority to ensure social distancing during this principle.”
“As such, alcohol is not considered an essential good or item. It is in fact considered a hindrance to the fight against the Coronavirus.”
The sale of alcohol and cigarettes was banned when the lockdown commenced on March 26.
The President’s office said there are proven links between the sale and consumption of alcohol and violent crime, motor vehicle accidents and other medical emergencies at a time when all private and public resources should be preparing to receive and treat vast number of COVID19 patients.
Addressing the National Coronavirus Command Council media briefing on Thursday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that laws would not be amended to allow for the sale of liquor.
Dlamini-Zuma, who was joined by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, said that law enforcement operations, conducted by the South African Police Service, with support from the SA National Defence Force, would continue to crack down on defiant liquor distributors. Dlamini-Zuma reiterated:
“We are stressing the prohibition of the transport of liquor. The only alcohol that is allowed to be transported is the one that is used for commercial purposes, including for our sanitizers. Liquor that you drink, is not allowed to be exported in the same way that it is not allowed to be sold.”
Police Minister Bheki Cele, who has opposed the sale of alcohol during the lockdown, says the decrease in violent crimes during lockdown was a good reason to keep the alcohol ban in place.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
