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Restaurant Association to take government to court over alcohol ban

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The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) has announced its intention to take government to court over its decision to ban the sale of alcohol.

In December, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that under the current restrictions the sale and transportation of alcohol are banned.

The move was due to the increasing number of alcohol-trauma-related cases that hospitals were facing last year, amid having to attend to an influx of COVID-19 patients.

In the video below, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the sale of alcohol has been banned:

RASA CEO, Wendy Alberts, says the industry wants to negotiate a viable solution with government to help save lives and livelihoods.

“We will see the government in the high court, hopefully in the next week or so. We have applied for an urgent application and we are being supported by a number of major stakeholders in the industry. The reality is, if you go around to any restaurant you will see it is a ghost town.”

“We have put many proposals on the table and said we need government to look at those proposals, open lines of communication. Allow us to present what we feel is a viable solution in slowing down the curve and taking responsibility. [Also] in supporting the restaurants in staying open and saving those jobs, lives and livelihoods,” explains Alberts.

Click on the audio clip below, to listen to the full interview with Wendy Alberts:

Meanwhile, shortly after the President’s announcement, healthcare workers in Gauteng welcomed the ban on the sale of alcohol, saying there is already less pressure on staff and resources.

In this video below, Gauteng Health MEC visits Bara Hospital:

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