President Cyril Ramaphosa’s will on Friday, 17 April, respond to the Gauteng Liquor Forum that wants restrictions on the sale of alcohol eased during an extended lockdown.
The forum threatened court action against the South African government.
However, Ramaphosa’s lawyers have written to the form asking them to wait until the end of business on Friday, 17 April to respond to their letter.
“The National Command Council, the Presidency and other relevant parties are meeting again this week, specifically to discuss the details of Government’s economic assistance programme. This includes assistance offered to small businesses such as those of your clients (forum), and other measures to mitigate the effects of the lockdown extension,” reads the letter.
“We anticipate that the results of these discussions may well have a bearing on issues related to your client. Therefore, in order to be in a position to respond to your letter fully, we ask that you afford us until the close of business on Friday, 17 April 2020, to respond to your letter.”
Watch below a clip from ENCA:
The forum, which is a non-profit organisation of stakeholders made up of associations of
mostly township based Shebeens and Taverns, claims to represent about 20,000 micro and small businesses around Gauteng.
For more read: Coronavirus: Liquor Makers May Take Their Fight To Court
Struggling South Africa’s liquor makers want restrictions on the sale of alcohol eased during an extended lockdown.
The forum has submitted their proposals to open up taverns to government.
The forum members operate mainly in the townships and the vast majority of them are tavern owners, liquor outlets and shebeen owners.
The forum is made of the following organisations:
- Boksburg Vosloorus Food and Beverage Association;
- Diepsloot Liquor Traders;
- Katlehong Liquor Traders;
- Kwa-Thema Tsakane Duduza;
- Langeville Liquor Traders;
- Mogale City Liquor Traders;
- National Tourism Hospitality Association;
- Orange Farm Liquor Traders;
- Sedibeng Liquor Traders;
- South African Leisure Tourism and Hospitality Association;
- Yeoville Traders; and
- Gauteng Liquor and Informal Business Association
The forum doesn’t have a website to check who are the directors and the activities of the organisation.
Twitter reaction to the forum’s request
Gauteng Liquor Forum is willing to compromise our health just for the sake of money. If we all die who will buy their alcohol? #GautengLiquorForum pic.twitter.com/LX3YJM7W0e
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@AdvoBarryRoux) April 14, 2020
Gauteng liquor forum is putting profits before lives..'can't take such an organisation seriously.. they're 🤡🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/RSx0sqUVZs
— Ⓜ⭕L€B🅰T💲ℹ__🇿🇦 (@lebatsi_nio) April 14, 2020
My Fellow South Africans, I say we stand together against the Gauteng Liquor Forum on their approach to uplift the liquor sales. We all know how a human brain works under the influence of alcohol. We have bigger issues to deal with. 1. #Covid19inSA 2. Vandalizing Schools etc. etc
— Piet_Led (@piet_led) April 14, 2020
What Gauteng Liquor Forum is doing is not democracy but undermining of Government (State of Disaster)
— Thapelo Senna 🇿🇦 (@McBills89) April 14, 2020
