Alcohol

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Alcohol: DA backs Western Cape Government in bid to lift the ban

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it’s on board for the alcohol ban to be lifted in the province and for businesses to be able to reopen.

Alcohol

Image via: Adobe Stock

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has come out in support of the Western Cape government and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde after he advocated for a lifting of the alcohol ban in the province. 

DA Shadow Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Dean Macpherson said now that the Western Cape is out of the woods, so to speak, regarding the virus, we should focus on the ailing economy by lifting the ban and reopening the economy as much as possible. 

ALCOHOL BAN: DA BACKS WINDE  

Winde, on Friday 7 August, said reduced COVID-19 infections and a prepared health system should allow for the alcohol ban to be lifted in the province. 

“We understand that alcohol-related injuries do put pressure on our hospital system, but we are also confident that we have sufficient capacity, and have in the past already put mechanisms in place to deal with alcohol harms and trauma related to those harms,” he said. 

“We know that this is not a quick fix, it has to be done over the medium term, and with that in mind, we are pushing for the lifting of the ban on alcohol sales in our province in the interests of saving jobs.”

Macpherson said the Western Cape Government, from the very onset of the pandemic, immediately set to work in building healthcare capacity to ensure that they would meet the demands of people requiring medical intervention.

“The DA commends them on being able to do so with room to spare. Many lives have been saved due to the early and rapid response by the Western Cape Government,” he said. 

“According to Premier Winde, data indicates that the Western Cape has passed its peak with hospital admissions falling. This is good news indeed and something we celebrate,” he added. 

Macpherson said it’s time to turn our attention to the ailing economy, which means lifting the alcohol ban. As we’ve seen, it has had a devastating impact on employment in the country. 

“Farmers, farmworkers and retailers are suffering due to this illogical ban by the National Government,” he said. 

BUSINESSES SHOULD ALSO BE ALLOWED TO OPEN 

Macpherson, quoting South African Medical Research Council President Dr. Glenda Gray, said there is sufficient hospital space to allow for the lifting of the alcohol ban which correlates with Winde’s data.

Macpherson also said that if it’s safe for a business to open, they should be allowed to do so. 

“From restaurants being able to sell alcohol to tourism-related sectors, we must give every business owner the fighting chance to stay open and protect the employment of their workers,” he said.  

“As Premier Winde has outlined, tens of thousands of jobs have been lost and even more are under threat if immediate action is not taken to lift the alcohol ban and open up the economy. The Western Cape can do so in a safe and responsible way which allows people the opportunity to rebuild their lives after suffering incredible financial hardships due to the lockdown,” he added. 

Macpherson said this approach would also be consistent with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s risk-adjusted strategy to allow districts and provinces to move down levels of the lockdown as the situation improves in those areas.