The South African tourism, restaurant and alcohol industry has pleaded with the government not to impose stringent lockdown restrictions that will damage the economy. Image via: Adobe Stock
The South African tourism, restaurant and alcohol industry has pleaded with the government not to impose stringent lockdown restrictions that will damage the economy. Image via: Adobe Stock
An advisory memo, drafted by South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Council, has listed a set of interventions the government should consider during the 2021 Local Elections. Alongside several health mitigations, scientists have one eye on alcohol sales again – following five separate periods of prohibition since March 2020.
The MAC has set out its guidelines clearly, encouraging the ANC to do whatever they can to limit the size of crowds and allow everyone a fair chance to visit their nearest voting stations, without having to worry about large gatherings.
There are fears that COVID-19 super-spreader events could crop up across the country, with South Africa likely to experience a fourth wave of new coronavirus infections before the end of the year. However, the MAC believes the worst-case scenario can be avoided – if the government heeds the following directives:
However, perhaps the most eye-catching paragraph in the memo – seen by TheSouthAfrican – refers to alcohol sales on Election Day, which falls on Monday 1 November. It is stated that ‘consideration must be given’ to limiting the operations of liquor traders, and a total outlawing of over-the-counter sales for a 24-hour period has not been ruled out.
“Consideration must be given to risk assessment and the implementation of appropriate risk mitigation for all activities relating to the elections, with particular focus on higher risk activities such as rallies, celebrations, and other spontaneous or poorly managed events.”
“Consideration should be given to the limitation of alcohol sales on the Election Day.”
MAC memo to government