The government have reaffirmed their stance on the alcohol ban that has been put in place for lockdown. In a media briefing on Thursday [16 April], Minister Dlamini-Zuma stated that the laws would not be changed to allow for liquor sales.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister tasked with overseeing government’s response to the outbreak under the Disaster Management Act.
Law enforcement operations conducted by SAPS with support from SANDF will continue to identify illegal liquor distributors. Dlamini-Zuma stated, “We are stressing the prohibition of the transport of liquor. The only alcohol that is allowed to be transported, is the one that is used for commercial purposes… for our sanitisers. Liquor that you drink, is not allowed to be exported in the same way that it is not allowed to be sold.”
The current regulations surrounding the alcohol ban are predicted to be officially gazetted, meaning that these will be extended until lockdown ends, according to The South African.
