SAAI heading to court over alcohol sales ban
The Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI) will approach the High Court in Pretoria on 18 August in a bid to set aside the ban on the sale and consumption of wine in restaurants.
The application comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a blanket ban on the sale of liquor under level 3 of the lockdown.
Government has argued that the ban on alcohol sales will free up space in hospitals as the country battles a surge in Covid-19 infections.
The farming organisation's CEO Francois Rossouw says they believe the regulations are arbitrary and irrational.
"The government’s statement that the regulations are implemented to limit the spread of the Covid-19 and to prevent an overburdened healthcare system simply does not hold water. Government pretends to want to save the economy, but apply double standards when it comes to the application thereof.”
He says taxis pose a major Covid-19 threat, but the government has given them the green light to operate at full capacity.
"Restaurants may be open, but are banned from serving wine in a regulated, hygienic environment where physical distancing is applied.”
The organisation believes the existence of some of the oldest family farms in South Africa are under threat, especially since the government has not offered any financial assistance to these farmers.
SAAI’s application is supported by 13 other applicants from the wine industry
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Restaurant Association writes to Ramaphosa on booze sales
The plea from the industry, through its legal team, follows the latest ban on the sale of alcohol by the government as it battles the rapid spread of Covid-19. RASA CEO Wendy Alberts says the president, along with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), should allow restaurants to sell alcohol under strict guidelines.