Pressure is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa to lift the ban on the sale of liquor amid the nationwide lockdown – or face a court challenge.
The Gauteng Liquor Forum has given Ramaphosa until Tuesday to make a decision. The forum says the lockdown regulations breach the constitutional rights of their members to freely choose their trade, occupation or profession.
Meanwhile, Director of the Phoenix Child Welfare Aroona Chetty – says alcohol is a contributing factor in up to 80 percent of all cases of Gender-Based Violence.
“It’s the best thing that has happened to our communities. I feel that with this we are a little safer, their spouses are not drunk and causing domestic violence in the family. They are partners and husbands that also don’t take alcohol and drugs or whatever and they still a problem, they have personality issues and that kind of things, but many times its when the partner is drunk and all the problems happen.”
Illicit trades have alcohol brand owners concerned amid lockdown
On Sunday, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health Dr. Sibongiseni Dhlomo called on President Ramaphosa to ignore calls from the Liquor Forum to sell alcohol during the lockdown.
Meanwhile, the Congress of the People has rejected the call by the Gauteng Liquor Forum for the Government to lift the ban on the sale of alcohol.
COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem says in a statement that this seeks to undermine the regulations of the nationwide lockdown by President Ramaphosa to curb the spread of the virus.
Bloem says it’s shocking that people are calling for the suspension of the ban on alcohol sales, but no one is making similar calls for the reopening of the schools and universities. He further calls upon the police to arrest and show no mercy to the syndicates which are involved in the illegal selling of alcohol.
Police warning over alcohol
Police Minister Bheki Cele has called on the communities to respect the lockdown by not selling and buying alcohol. He made the call in Polokwane ahead of a campaign to ensure compliance to the national regulations that are in place.
“There’s a big cry of alcohol here. Shut the shebeens down and be unkind to people that are breaking the law. ‘Vala joint’ people that move around drinking; tell them their lives will be better after 21 days, they’ll look good, they’ll look good after 21 days are finished, they’ll be yellow bones they’ll look good.”
Minister Cele says people should stop making requests for bottle stores to be opened:
