‘Why are we still locked down?’
The Western Cape government and the Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) are questioning why lockdown regulations are still in place, given that Covid-19 cases are beginning to decline.
Pressure is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the National Coronavirus Command Council to lift the adjusted alert Level 3 restrictions that came into effect in late December.
The NCCC returned SA to Level 3 lockdown amid the second surge in Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations in the festive season.
Initially, Ramaphosa indicated the ban on alcohol sales, the closure of some beaches and public parks and the national curfew would only last for two weeks. However, the restrictions were extended on 11 January.
South African Breweries lodged an application in Western Cape High Court to challenge the constitutionality of the third ban on alcohol sales. The company has suspended the contracts of more than 500 temporary workers and Heineken has already retrenched parts of its SA workforce.
Yesterday, Western Cape premier Alan Winde and Basa called for the lifting of the lockdown restrictions. Winde has written to Ramaphosa urging him to convene a special meeting of the President’s Coordinating Council as soon as possible to ease some of the restrictions in the Western Cape.
Winde said he wrote to the president after Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize failed to respond to his letter last Tuesday in which he made a formal submission on the changing of some restrictions.
He called on government to lift the beach ban, amend the national curfew from 11pm to 4am and allow alcohol sales offsite only from Monday to Thursday, among other measures.
Meanwhile, Basa warned that seven out of every eight craft brewers might not survive the third alcohol ban. A survey found that 60.3% of owners of small craft breweries have retrenched staff. Craft breweries (77.8%) were also unable to pay rent, suppliers or employees.
Chairman of the SA Liquor Brand Owners’ Association Sibani Mngadi said the only beneficiaries of the ban were illicit alcohol smugglers.
Winde said there was evidence in his province that motivated for the easing of restrictions. He said the lockdown could lead to an economic disaster in the Western Cape as its economy, which relies heavily on tourism and hospitality, was struggling.
“The first two weeks of the latest alcohol ban are estimated to have cost the Western Cape economy R1 billion,” Winde said. “If the ban is to continue for a full month, which it now looks likely to do, it will end up costing the Western Cape’s economy R2 billion.”