South Africans Panic Over Alleged Reinstatement of Alcohol Ban
The South African government has declared that there are no plans to reintroduce a ban on alcohol.
The need to calm the masses came as rumours began to circulate on social media stating that the government was planning on locking up liquor stores once again. This panic influenced shoppers to once again flock the retail stores and stock up, however, there was no official word of the second wave of a country-wide ban. Presidency spokesperson, Khusela Diko, spoke to TimesLive saying, "No such calls have been tabled before the National Coronavirus Command Council at this point."
The sale and purchase of alcohol was originally banned in South Africa in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fears resurfaced as governing bodies expressed worry about how citizens would behave once alcohol was reintroduced into their lives and how often alcohol related hospitalization would occur.
The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities voiced their concerns regarding the ban on alcohol being lifted with Businesstech.
In an Committee chairperson Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba said of the matter, "According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), alcohol is known to be harmful to health in general and is understood to increase the risk of injury and violence, including intimate partner violence and can cause alcohol poisoning."
While the original ban had advantageous results on the public healthcare system, as of right now the drinks can keep flowing.