A group of South African alcohol sellers, facing a month-long ban of their intoxicating product during the current nationwide coronavirus lockdown, have threatened to drag President Cyril Ramaphosa to court over the issue, APA learnt on Wednesday.
Falling the banner of the Gauteng Liquor Forum, the group of about 20,000 micro and small businesses in the province has written to Ramaphosa demanding that he lifts the sales ban or face a lawsuit.
The ban “is unreasonable and unconstitutional,” according to the forum.
Responding to the threats, the presidency said it would respond by the end of Friday.
The high office said it had scheduled a meeting with the National Command Council and other relevant stakeholders this week in order to discuss government’s economic assistance programme to businesses such as the liquor forum.
Due to this, the group should hold off the court case pending the meeting. Otherwise, the presidency was willing to engage with concrete constructive proposals made by all sectors, including the liquor forum, the presidency said.
South Africa went on a lockdown on 27 March, shutting down all non-essential businesses until 30 April.
NM/jn/APA