Cele says 31% of S. Africans consume alcohol at expense of whole nation

In light of the increased numbers of fatalities since the ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted at the start of Level 3 lockdown on 1 June, Police Minister Bheki Cele has said that if it were up to him, the ban would be reinstated.

Cele was on Thursday speaking to an EWN journalist following his visit to the home of one of the two eThekwini metro cops who were killed in an apparent ambush in Durban on Tuesday.

The minister said that just before the start of Level 3 lockdown on 1 June, about 30 to 32 deaths were recorded across the country, while on the first day of Level 3, 40 deaths were recorded while on 2 June, 50 were recorded. The minister further said last Friday, in a period of 12 hours, between 5pm and 5am, 69 deaths were recorded.

He said that since the ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted, there had been an increase in the number of road accidents and doctors stationed at hospitals have been saying that “their systems are beginning to be clogged” up, with free beds in trauma units, ICU and theatres “all of a sudden are occupied by the bloody people that have been shot, that have been butchered, that have been stabbed” in alcohol-related incidents.

The minister said the police do “believe” that they need to do more but added that “South Africans themselves” need to take a closer look at how alcohol makes people misbehave.

Cele said it was unfortunate that only 31% of South Africans consume alcohol “at the expense of the whole nation”.

He said he hopes that alcohol traders and consumers would “remember the pain that they cause for the rest of the people and the systems they clog” up and the copious amounts of money “that goes to their health, that goes to the system of health because they are expensive … once they are in theatre” or hospitalised, money that could have been used elsewhere.

“We believe that the alcohol matter will have to be discussed for a long time [as a solution is sought],” Cele said.

The minister said if it were up to him, the ban on the sale of alcohol would be reinstated, however, he acknowledged that the power to reinstate the ban does not solely rest with him and that he serves in various structures responsible for such, such as Cabinet.

“I thought life would be much better without alcohol,” the minister said.

[WATCH] Police Minister Bheki Cele says if it was up to him, the ban on the sale of alcohol would still be in place. He has spoken to EWN while visiting the house of one of two EThekwini metro cops who were gunned down on their way to work on Tuesday. @NkoRaphael pic.twitter.com/xatk4W4jLa

— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 11, 2020

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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