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Third wave: This guy wants govt. to ban booze sales

by Duncan Masiwa
25th May 2021
in News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
President Cyril Ramaphosa has banned alcohol, outlawed public gatherings and closed schools for 14 days. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

President Cyril Ramaphosa has banned alcohol, outlawed public gatherings and closed schools for 14 days. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

As a third wave of Covid-19 infections loom in Mzansi, a lobby group has “opportunistically called” for stricter regulations on alcohol sales. This has caused the South African Liquor Brandowners’ Association (Salba) to come out guns blazing against the SA Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa).

Saapa has urged government to respond to the latest coronavirus threat by strengthening the current restrictions on alcohol access, and to further limit the advertising of alcohol products.

Given health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize’s warning that new restrictions are inevitable, Saapa said government “should not wait until the health system becomes overburdened before restrictions are introduced”.

Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa) director, Maurice Smithers. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

“Alcohol consumption should not aggravate the predicted impact of the third wave,” said Saapa director Maurice Smithers. 

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“We have seen the additional burden on the healthcare system caused by trauma cases related to harmful drinking, through car crashes, incidents of interpersonal violence and gender-based violence.”

Salba, however, has hit back, adding that the Saapa statement demonstrates their lack of regard for the country’s economy, growing unemployment rates and the collapse of businesses.  

Also, according to Salba the call for restrictions on alcohol advertising and other alcohol policy interventions are irrelevant to the national response to the possibility of the third wave of Covid-19.

ALSO READ: ‘Why did govt. disregard expert advice?’

Saapa list of demands

Saapa also made a number of demands to government. This included the:

  • banning of all special offers for alcoholic beverages;
  • banning of all alcohol advertising, except at points of sale;
  • prohibiting major “alcohol-fuelled party events”, including street bashes;
  • reducing gathering numbers to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors;
  • reducing the curfew from midnight to 22:00, seven days a week; and
  • announcing that all on-consumption liquor outlets should be closed from 18:00 on public holidays and one day prior to public holidays to limit the potential for super-spreader events.

Salba chairperson hits back

Reacting to this proposal, Sibani Mngadi, the chairperson of Salba, said it was particularly disturbing given that Saapa has made no contribution to national Covid-19 response.

Sibani Mngadi, chairman of the South African Liquor Brandowners Association (SALBA). Photo: Twitter
Sibani Mngadi, chairman of the South African Liquor Brandowners Association (SALBA). Photo: Twitter

“We [the alcohol industry] donated more than 200 million litres of pure alcohol when the country was facing shortages of sanitiser. We have supported government procurement of PPEs and other consumables for hospitals,” said Mngadi.

“We have hired community patrollers to support compliance with Covid-19 protocols in outlets and financially supported the recovery of the restaurants, bars and taverns sector.”

He called on Saapa to publicly demonstrate their contribution, if any, to the promotion of responsible alcohol consumption.

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“What Saapa fails to understand is that South Africa is a constitutional democracy with established and transparent rules for policy formulation and amending legislation. Lockdown regulations are there to help our country to respond to a specific, major problem of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Ultimate solution

Salba added that an expedited vaccination roll-out was the ultimate solution to restrictions so that the economy could move toward recovery.

This required urgency in terms of rolling out the programme. The alcohol industry has repeatedly said it was willing to provide whatever logistical assistance government required to help achieve this huge operational undertaking.

ALSO READ: Black market ‘stealing bread from our children’s bellies’

Tags: alcohol industryalcohol sales banCovid-19Dr Zweli MkhizeSAAPASALBASibani MngadiSouth Africa’s Liquor Brandowners AssociationSouthern African Alcohol Policy Alliance
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Duncan Masiwa

Duncan Masiwa

DUNCAN MASIWA is a budding journalist with a passion for telling great agricultural stories. He hails from Macassar, close to Somerset West in the Western Cape, where he first started writing for the Helderberg Gazette community newspaper. Besides making a name for himself as a columnist, he is also an avid poet who has shared stages with artists like Mahalia Buchanan, Charisma Hanekam, Jesse Jordan and Motlatsi Mofatse.

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