27 Jan 2021 Wine producers head to court over alcohol ban

Vinpro, an organisation that represents more than 2,000 wine farmers and wine producers, is taking the government to court to ask that the alcohol ban be lifted in the Western Cape.

It wants the ban to be lifted with immediate effect by the court in its hearing on February 5. It joins the largest beer brewer in the country, SA Breweries, which has also taken the government to court to have the ban removed. 

It said it would first ask that the court make an interim order in the Western Cape to allow the sale of alcohol for home consumption and at restaurants and venues, as new Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions have been dropping in the province.

Then Vinpro will look at asking for a similar order for other provinces. 

The group said as new Covid-19 cases had dropped in the province, the liquor ban was simply no longer justified there.

It said despite continuous engagement with the government, its proposals to mitigate the harmful effects of alcohol were not taken into account when the third liquor ban was introduced on December 28.

“Government has also not been transparent with us on justifying the continued ban, nor did they give any explanation or clarity on the timeline for a review of this ban,” Vinpro said in a statement. Without knowing when the ban will end, this makes “contingency planning” for businesses is impossible.

The wine harvest is starting and there is not enough space for new grapes and wine as there is more 300-million litres of wine in storage than usually is the case. 

The bans threaten the sustainability of the wine industry, which it said supports the livelihoods of 269,000 employees. 

Vinpro said there were other ways to mitigate the effects of alcohol in trauma cases in hospitals. 

Source: Vinpro