COGTA Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Image: Flickr.
COGTA Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Image: Flickr.
- This article was published before Dlamini-Zuma and COGTA performed a u-turn on this decision – you can read the updated version here.
How exactly is this going to work, then? Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has resumed her role as the lockdown pantomime villain on Thursday, by announcing that the transportation of booze will be outlawed over the weekend. The amendment, introduced earlier today, effectively criminalises the act of carrying alcohol from one place to another.
Can be arrested for carrying alcohol this weekend?
From 00:01 on Friday 2 April to 23:59 on Monday 5 April, it’ll be illegal to transport liquor to any different point in South Africa. This follows an announcement made by Cyril Ramaphosa, who confirmed that bottle stores & off-license premises must shut down their operations for four days. Dlamini-Zuma confirmed police roadblocks would enforce these rules.
“Over the weekend, people will not be allowed to carry [alcohol]. The police will be doing roadblocks and stuff. You’re not allowed to carrying alcohol from one place to the other. Today, yes, you can buy it, you can take it to wherever but as from midnight today until midnight on Monday, they are not allowed [to do that].“
Ban on carrying alcohol branded ‘ridiculous’
So if you’ve stocked up on booze and you’re ready to take it through to the jol this weekend, we’ve got bad news: Carrying alcohol has become an arrestable offence for the long weekend. You best send your party host out to the liquor store while you still can, and ask them to get your ales in. Let’s just hope you’ve all got online banking (or a makeshift stokvel) going.
One senior political figure who has been left outraged by these changes is Dean Macpherson. He’s South Africa’s Shadow Trade Minister, and the DA representative fears that this ‘ridiculous regulation’ will facilitate more acts of police brutality:
DA hit back at Dlamini-Zuma announcement:
“We note the ridiculous regulation from Dlamini-Zuma, that the transportation of alcohol would not be allowed over the next four days of the Easter long-weekend – and that any person found in contravention of this regulation would be arrested. This is just another heavy-handed restriction… that criminalizes ordinary citizens while true crime flourishes.”
“More people have been arrested during the pandemic for breaking irrational regulations than there have been vaccinations in South Africa. SAPS have often enforced irrational lockdown regulations in a brutal fashion, and we are concerned that this regulation could give rise to police brutality over the long weekend.”
Dean Macpherson
