Government bashes rumours of presidential address and reinstatement of alcohol ban
"It’s not true that President will address the nation tonight. It is also not true that the NCCC/Cabinet has taken a decision to disallow the sale of alcohol. This is all fake news”
Minister in the Presidency of South Africa’s Jackson Mthembu has bashed rumours of a possible reinstatement of the alcohol ban, Pretoria Rekord reports.
This as a voice-note is making the rounds on social media, suggesting that president Cyril Ramaphosa would announce the reinstatement of alcohol ban tonight.
In a tweet, Mthembu said: “It’s not true that President will address the nation tonight. It is equally not true that the NCCC/Cabinet has taken a decision to disallow the sale of alcohol. This is all fake news.”
It’s not true that President @CyrilRamaphosa will address the nation tonight . It equally not true that the NCCC/Cabinet has taken a decision to disallow the sale of alcohol . This is all #fakenews .
— Minister Jackson Mthembu (@JacksonMthembu_) August 25, 2020
Earlier on Tuesday, in a statement, presidential spokesperson Tyrone Seale announced the postponement of an engagement planned for 25 August evening, between Ramaphosa and the South African national editors’ forum.
Seale said the postponement was to allow the Ramaphosa to attend to engagements that included Tuesday’s meeting of the national coronavirus command council.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed the minister in the presidency Jackson Mthembu to work with Sanef to schedule a new date for this engagement, with an expectation that the engagement will take place early in the new week.
“The question-and-answer session will be a fulfilment of a commitment the president made publicly in an engagement with Sanef at the end of May 2020 that he will interact with Sanef and other media institutions as part of maintaining transparency and dialogue.
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