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Lawyers for the Gauteng Liquor Forum, an agency representing more than 20,000 taverns and shebeens in Gauteng, say they will not proceed with their planned court action to compel the government to allow them to sell alcohol, as long as the state tells them this week. whether the decision was made or is likely to be made to extend the national blockade.
This forum last week threatened to take the presidency to the Constitutional Court to test the validity of regulations prohibiting the sale of alcohol if President Cyril Ramaphosa does not lift the ban.
On Friday, the state attorney, acting for Ramaphosa, responded to the forum’s initial demand letter saying that selling alcohol “is not an essential service” and could derail government efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The president said that the consumption of liquor has been shown to increase the crimes that take people to hospitals, and that the country cannot afford to have its emergency rooms full while dealing with Covid-19 cases.
On Saturday, forum attorneys accused the state attorney’s office of misunderstanding their arguments. The group was not arguing for consumption on the site, he said, but for “off-consumer sales where consumers will enjoy their drinks responsibly and in the comfort of their homes.”
This was necessary, he said, because many of its members do not qualify for state aid under the Tourism Aid Fund.
The forum said Saturday that, for the time being, it would not continue its contemplated legal action to test the constitutional validity of the blockade regulations, as long as the state tells it Thursday whether a decision has been made, or whether it is likely to take. , to extend the lock. The lock is scheduled to end on April 30.
It has also demanded to know how long the possible extension would last and whether the government was prepared to relax current conditions to qualify for assistance to include unregistered shebeens and shisanyamas.
