BOOZE TRADERS DISAPPOINTED

MANZINI - Disappointed!

This was the feeling of traders after the Prime Minister (PM), Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini had a media briefing, but did not say anything about lifting the ban on the sale and manufacturing of alcohol in the country. 

According to the Swaziland National Liquor Association (SNLA) Secretary General, Thamsanqa Hlatshwayo, they had hoped that the premier would hold a press conference at Cabinet offices yesterday to give the nation updates related to the COVID-19 situation. 

Relaxation

He said they waited with bated breath for the anticipated relaxation of the partial lockdown restrictions ahead of the premier’s expected media briefing, which was held later on yesterday.  The secretary general said as they had said before, they were hoping that since neighbouring South Africa had lifted the ban on alcohol sale, the country would do likewise. 

On top of that, he said they made a plea that the ban should be lifted because the illegal traders would stock the alcoholic beverages from South Africa and sell it on the black market, where the COVID-19 guidelines were not adhered to.  

“In that regard, we anticipated relaxed lockdown restrictions that will allow us (liquor traders) to operate, but this was not the case,” the secretary general said. However, he said since the PM did not say anything about when the ban on alcohol sales would be lifted, they were left disappointed. He said even if government was planning to lift the two months ban at the end of August, the premier should have said so.

“This is because most liquor traders are broke and they need enough time to organise funds to prepare for the reopening of their outlets,” the secretary general said.  He said if they would be told at the 11th hour about when the ban would be lifted, the financially struggling liquor traders would be at a disadvantage. 

Otherwise

He said this was because they would not be able to stock up on alcoholic beverages, which would mean that only the big guns in the industry would open on time. Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini anounced the sale of alcohol remained banned in the country. He said as long as government had not announced otherwise, the ban would remain in force.  The ban on the sale and manufacturing of liquor was effected on July 1, 2020 and it is expected not to exceed two months. On the other hand, liquor traders were against it from the onset as they did not buy into government’s explanation that alcohol was among the leading contributors in the spread of COVID-19. They argued that there was no emperical evidence to prove that indeed alcohol was among the leading factors that contributed in the spread of the virus.  South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa announced earlier on the week the resumption of the sale of alcohol and cigarettes in that country.

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