Malema tells NDZ he supports ongoing tobacco and alcohol ban – report

Dlamini-Zuma is reported to have presented the same concerns to opposition parties about the health impact of smoking which she had earlier shared with the National Coronavirus Command Council.

According to the report, the EFF, African Christian Democratic Party and Al Jama-ah did not agree with a current government proposal to allow alcohol sales from Monday to Thursday at level 3 for off-site consumption.

They, however, agreed with Dlamini-Zuma’s plan to keep the cigarette ban in place, which earlier reports suggested she has been pushing to keep in place even if South Africa goes down to level 1. Malema also agreed with this.

Dlamini-Zuma had reportedly come across an international study suggesting that smokers are more at risk of dying from Covid-19 and end up on ventilators at a greater rate than everyone else. She was using this to back up her proposal.

“She is said to have been strongly supported by EFF leader Julius Malema, who agreed the tobacco ban must be in place until level 1,” reported the Sunday Times.

They quoted an anonymous “party leader” who was in the briefing as telling them: “Malema was vehement about it, vehement against the lifting of the ban.”

In a statement on Thursday, the EFF said liquor sales, along with schools, should not reopen until more scientific data was available to ensure they would not lead to the spread of the coronavirus.

The party said there was “currently no creditable scientific data that illustrates that the easing of the lockdown regulations, even with precautionary measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and constantly using hands sanitisers will not lead to the increased spread of the [coronavirus].

“The intention to permit the sale of alcohol will only worsen the situation because, even where there is no effort to contain a pandemic, alcohol has been responsible for many health-related and social ills in society,” said EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo.

The EFF demanded that government reconsider the “premature, senseless and reckless re-opening” of the economy and schools, until scientific evidence showed it was safe to do so.

The party also demanded that once schools opened various safety measures be implemented.

These included additional classrooms to limit the teacher-to-pupil ratio to 1:20; social distancing spaces, including assembly points and retail food spaces; the discontinuation of contact sporting activities; clean water supply and clean toilets for all schools.

The party added that the easing of national lockdown regulations should only begin once the daily infection rate of Covid-19 was below 45 people.