Alcohol a hindrance to fight against COVID-19: South African president

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Alcohol is considered a hindrance to the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has told an industry group that was lobbying for the lifting of restrictions that prohibit the sale or transporting of liquor during the lockdown. Ramaphosa was responding to a request from the Gauteng Liquor Forum for its members to sell alcohol during the declared national state of disaster, which resulted in a 21-day lockdown and has been renewed on Friday for two weeks.

"The restriction on the sale of liquor will remain," the presidency said in a statement. "The President has carefully considered the representations made by the Gauteng Liquor Forum."

"As such, alcohol is not considered an essential good or item. It is, in fact, considered a hindrance to the fight against the coronavirus," it said.

The president has also considered representations from other stakeholders, who had pointed to the causal relationship between alcohol intoxication and abuse, and risky behaviour.

"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 COVID-19 patients," it said.

The presidency said the position of the forum, representing members from the province that is South Africa's economic hub, was not shared by all industry stakeholders; and that a number of other organisations in the liquor industry had rejected the call for the restrictions to be lifted.

Responding to claims by the forum that small business in the liquor trade, such as taverns in townships, might suffer financial loss during this period, the presidency reminded it of special funds and institutions that had been set up to provide capped grant assistance to small, micro and medium enterprises to ensure sustainability during this period, as well as to support employees of these enterprises who were without an income.

It is common cause that the containment of the coronavirus has resulted in financial strain for many businesses across all sectors, and not just those in the liquor industry. The government stands ready to assist them within the available means to alleviate this hardship, the statement said.

The liquor prohibitions have led to widespread break-ins and thefts from liquor stores, including by police personnel in some instances, colluding with owners.

In one case, a police vehicle was intercepted escorting three vehicles laden with liquor which were owned by a tavern entrepreneur. They, as well as the drivers of the vehicles, were arrested and charged.

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