South Africa: Opposition Blasts Alcohol and Cigarette Bans

South Africa’s official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), have denounced the government’s ongoing ban on alcohol and cigarettes during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

DA leader, John Steenkamp, has described the governing African National Congress’ (ANC’s) continued restriction of substances – which contribute to “Sin Taxes” – as “petty, arbitrary and unworkable.”

The ruling party of Africa’s powerhouse economy banned sales of alcohol since it went into lockdown on 27 March in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

ANC officials have explained that the idea was to curtail drunk driving and violent assaults, and to ensure that these would not take up precious public medical resources.

Despite the ban bearing some amount of success with lowering the official stats, violence has erupted from mobs looting liquor stores to security forces beating, and – in some instances killing – citizens while patrolling for any signs of banned materials.

Prohibition has received choirs of protestation from several sectors of society, with many giving job losses and a dangerous, unregulated black market as reasons to lift the ban.

South Africa currently has 10 015 active cases of COVID-19, and 194 people have lost their lives from the contagion.