Liquor association wants taverns to be used as alcohol collection points

Liquor beverage makers have called for taverns in local communities to be used as liquor collection points in order to reduce the risk of customers potentially overcrowding township retail outlets, come June 1.

Since President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement this week, that the sale of alcoholic beverages would be granted under level 3 of the lockdown regulations on June 1, the beverages industry maintains that allowing local taverns in poor communities to sell alcohol under strict weekly conditions will prevent locals from travelling.

The Liquor Trader Association, which consists of associations from township-based taverns and shebeens, representing more than 50,000 members, has urged government to consider the taverns as collection points option.

National Liquor Forum president, Winston Hector, concerned by the large financial consequences brought by the lack of shebeen and tavern sales, said only allowing alcohol retailers to open under level 3 of the lockdown would result in limited sales points, thus leading to these points being inundated with eager customers.

“This mass descent on very limited stockists will result in non-adherence to social distancing measures and will no doubt undo much of the good work being done by government in its attempts to curb the spread of Covid-19 within townships,” Hector said in an EWN report.