Zululanders have mixed feelings over second alcohol sales ban

SOUTH Africans are divided over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday that the alcohol ban has been reinstated.

This decision was taken to help curb the pressure on the healthcare system by reducing the number of alcohol-related incidents being attended to at hospitals as the country heads toward a peak of Covid-19 infections.

SA is now ranked among the top ten countries globally in terms of the number of confirmed cases.

South Africans took to Twitter and other social media platforms to express their frustration over the new regulations.

Many called out the president for allowing schools to continue and taxis to operate at 100% capacity, but adding pressure on an already fragile alcohol industry which suffered a major loss during levels 4 and 5 of the lockdown.

Statistics show that during this time there was a 60-70% reduction in hospital visits and admissions when alcohol was banned.

Following the easing of restrictions to Level 3 on 1 June, a noticeable surge in hospital visits was observed.

It is estimated that the alcohol ban could achieve a reduction of about 3 400 alcohol-related trauma incidents across public hospitals in the first week.

Nurses and doctors also took to Twitter, expressing happiness and relief.

A nurse working in the trauma unit of a public hospital within the Zululand region told the ZO that since the introduction of Level 3, the facility has been severely strained and was on the verge of collapse.

‘We are under-resourced and understaffed, and most of us work long hours and become frustrated when we observe patients coming in with injuries that could have been avoided.

‘We were supposed to get in more nurses, but accommodating them has been a problem.

‘About 60 per cent of the cases we attend to are alcohol-related. It is either fights or domestic abuse. There was a significant drop of such incidents during levels 4 and 5.

‘It should also be noted that the number of rape incidents has also increased after the easing of the lockdown regulations.

The alcohol industry, meanwhile, has warned about more job losses and negative economic impact.

Smaller retailers, taverns and wineries are expected to be the hardest hit.

In a statement, the South African Liqour Brand Owners Association (SALBA) said the government’s decision will place hundreds of thousands of livelihoods at risk.

Local liquor retailers agree.

A tavern owner in Empangeni said he has already had to let go three of his five members of staff.

‘One month of allowing us to sell liquor was not enough for us to recover. The fact that the ban was reinstated with immediate effect meant that we do not get to sell the stock we have already ordered and paid for.

‘We can see the government does not take us seriously. All they are doing is allowing the black market to grow.’

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