South Africa’s liquor traders on Sunday urged President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government to refrain from imposing a total alcohol sales ban in responding to rising cases of the coronavirus pandemic’s second wave in the country.
Convenor of the Liquor Traders Formations, Lucky Ntimane, admitted that South Africans had “failed to heed a call by the president to behave in a manner that helps the country fight the second wave of the pandemic.”
“We continue to call on our liquor traders and the public at large to observe the Covid-19 regulations as it relates to the wearing of face masks at all times, sanitising and washing our hands regularly, and observing social distancing,” he said.
The traders have been alarmed following reports that Ramaphosa might recall his Cabinet from holiday to discuss a response to the second wave of infections which have left the country’s private and public hospitals running out of intensive care beds and oxygen in four provinces.
According to the Liquor Traders Formations, a total ban on liquor sales in the country would see 250,000 people lose their jobs.
The formation instead called on the government to work with the alcohol industry to “find solutions of mutual benefit on how to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in a manner that can safeguard the one million livelihoods that are dependent on the alcohol industry.”
The traders added: “We do not think that a total ban on alcohol sales will be a solution either in the short or long term in arresting the resurgence and uptick in the number of positive cases for Covid-19.”
Instead, the government should come up with a measured curfew to restrict unnecessary movement of people while balancing the interests of the tourism sector which was dependent on the availability of alcohol, the group said.
“Alcohol restrictions, if any, should provide for off-premises sales to allow for consumption at home and provide a special dispensation for taverns to operate as off-premises outlets with restricted hours,” the formations said.
NM/as/APA