South Africa
Association probes alcohol ban─── ELSABÉ RICHARD 15:27 Mon, 29 Jun 2020
With restaurants given the green light to put food on their tables from today, government has outlined a list of rules - which includes the non-sale of alcohol – in an attempt to save the sector.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA), Wendy Alberts, tells OFM News that there is an atmosphere of excitement in restaurants as they are finally allowed to welcome customers.
She says even though they are happy about the sector reopening, they reject that they are not allowed to sell alcohol.
Alberts further states that the association has given government a week to provide valid reasons as to why they made this decision.
She says that this is unfortunately not enough to support the industry and moving forward.
“We were very clear that alcohol needed to be included… And we’ve called to Minister [Ebrahim] Patel to engage with us as the restaurant industry… We have certainly paid for the luxury of having liquor licences and we are bound by the liquor law,” says Alberts.
She further explains that restaurants have always been able to control their liquor dispensing and should therefore be allowed to sell alcohol.
The Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, announced on Friday 26 July rules and regulations that restaurants and other parts of the sector should follow as government opens more sectors in an effort to save the economy.
OFM News
