Want to buy booze? Ramaphosa says alcohol sales only allowed Monday to Thursday, 10am to 6pm

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced that alcohol sales at retail outlets will be restricted to Mondays to Thursdays between 10am and 6pm, with immediate effect.

This was part of a string of new restrictions he announced during an address to the nation on Monday night.

“On-site consumption of alcohol at licensed establishments is not permitted after 10pm. No consumption of alcohol is permitted in public spaces such as parks and beaches,” said the president.

This was one of the focus areas he covered in his speech, which lasted 30 minutes.

He added that this decision was necessary to prevent “super-spreader events” and reduce the burden on health-care services due to irresponsible alcohol consumption.

“The hours of the curfew will be longer, starting at 11pm and ending at 4am. Non-essential establishments, including restaurants and bars, will have to close at 10pm so that staff and patrons can get home before the enforcement of the curfew.

“The curfew is meant to prevent gatherings that go on late into the night while enabling restaurants, bars, and taverns to continue to operate and earn an income,” he said.  

Ramaphosa emphasised that the curfew also applied to Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

“This means that we will all need to make changes to the way in which we celebrate these occasions,” he said.

There were also areas of reprieve, however.

“Registered wineries and wine farms may continue to offer tastings and wine sales to the public for off-site consumption over weekends. This exception is being made due to the vital contribution of these establishments to the tourism sector in several parts of the country,” he said.  

These festive season restrictions will be reviewed in early January, he said, based on the state of the pandemic across the country.

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