Liquor traders are concerned for their livelihoods and urge government to do more to safeguard the tavern sector and protect thousands of jobs by lifting the ban and allowing off-premise sales to resume on 16 January 2021.

According to Lucky Ntimane, convener for the Liquor Traders Formation, a majority of taverns face permanent closure with 250 000 jobs on the line.

He said with the last two bans, 165 000 people have already lost their jobs and another 100 000 people are falling into poverty as a result of the alcohol ban.

Ntimane has, however, reiterated the Liquor Traders Formation’s call to continue to support government’s efforts to stem the tide against the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We further welcome the collaborative efforts of our communities, society and law-enforcement officials over the festive period, which ensured that there were generally high compliance levels with Covid-19 regulations as evidenced by few incidents reported and low trauma admissions in hospitals linked to alcohol abuse.

“The Liquor Traders Formation will continue to strongly support measures to reduce the spike in coronavirus infections during this second wave, including the President’s call to remain vigilant and adopt the government’s Covid-19 regulations, namely, the mandatory wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing, obeying the curfew hours and sanitizing regularly and repeatedly.”

According to Ntimane, liquor traders continue to suffer the brunt of the lockdown first implemented by the President on 26 March 2020.

“Out of the 284 days that the country has been on some measure of lockdown, liquor traders have not been able to trade in liquor for +100 days with no government support whatsoever to cushion this blow. Closure is the immediate reality faced by the majority of the 34 500 taverns (and this include shebeen permit holders).

One million jobs across the full alcohol value chain are at risk and the taverns support township-based jobs that anchor households and ensure that more than 250 000 families have meals on their tables daily. The current lockdown means over 250 000 families do not know where their next meal is going to come from or how they will have the means to prepare for their back to school needs.”

Their call to government is to immediately consider the following: 

• Allow off-premise sales with limited days and hours with effect from 16 January 2021 as this will further support government efforts to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic as it will encourage at-home consumption of liquor whilst ensuring that liquor traders’ livelihoods are maintained
• A moratorium on licence renewals and linked fee increases for a period not less than one year
• A financial package for liquor traders to cover their non-trading loses to the value of not less than R20 000

We acknowledge that there has been high levels of Covid-19 and related compliance by the public over the festive season, and we continue to call on liquor regulations enforcement agencies to clamp down on the illicit and illegal trading of alcohol. The current lockdown environment we find ourselves in encourages the network of alcohol smugglers to fill the vacuum created by unmet consumer demands for alcoholic products.”

Liquor traders urge everyone to download the COVID Alert SA app from either the Apple App or Google Play stores. The industry also urged the public to make use of the Consumer Goods Council hotline on 0800 014 856 to report any violation of the regulations.