Alcohol is considered a hindrance to the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has told an industry group that was lobbying for the lifting of restrictions that prohibit the sale or transporting of liquor during the lockdown.
Ramaphosa was responding to a request from the Gauteng Liquor Forum for its members to sell alcohol during the declared national state of disaster, which resulted in a 21-day lockdown and has been renewed on Friday for two weeks.
"The restriction on the sale of liquor will remain," the presidency said in a statement. "The President has carefully considered the representations made by the Gauteng Liquor Forum."