Ebrahim Patel missing person alert

Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel. Image via: flickr

Lockdown: Ban on sales of cooked food set for legal challenge

First our booze, then our ciggies, and now we can’t even get a hot meal over the counter. The decision to stop the sale of cooked foods has been blasted.

Ebrahim Patel missing person alert

Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel. Image via: flickr

You may have had to double-take this weekend, after trade minister Ebrahim Patel suddenly announced that cooked food will be removed from sale across South Africa while the lockdown is in place. His failure to explain his decision – almost impromptu by its nature – has ruffled feathers across the country.

Cooked food banned in South Africa – but why?

Indeed, news has reached the office of Dean Macpherson – and the DA representative isn’t ready to take this one lying down. The shadow trade minister has been left perplexed by Patel’s pronouncement and highlighted that any decision to remove cooked food from the shelves would be particularly devastating for the elderly, who may be unable to cook food due to their frailty, as well as other communities:

“There is nothing in the lockdown regulations that prohibits the production or sale of cooked food, and thus, we believe the Minister has overstepped his powers by simply pronouncing that retailers may not sell cooked or prepared food. This absurd determination by Minister Patel is illogical and ill-considered.”

“It follows a pattern of late by certain Ministers which seek to de-legitimise the lockdown by advancing regulations that make no sense. The latest pronouncement by Government will have detrimental consequences for essential service workers who rely on cooked food due to the work they are doing.”

Dean Macpherson

Ebrahim Patel given explanation deadline

The surprise decision has been labelled as an ‘abuse of power’, and was compared to actions taken by Bheki Cele. The police minister stands accused of inciting police violence and writing his own narrative on the booze ban. Patel, meanwhile, has been given a deadline to explain his decision before facing legal action: