SANCO welcomes reinstatement of ban on alcohol sales

THE South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in the North West has welcomed the new measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to slow down the rate of Covid-19 infections. One of the measures include the reinstatement of the ban on the sale of alcohol.

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The civic organisation urged individual citizens to take greater responsibility for their conduct in the wake of the rising tide of coronavirus infections as the country braces itself for the devastating peak.

SANCO provincial chairperson, Paul Sebegoe, said people must not allow themselves to cower to the temptation to drown their sorrows and anxieties in alcohol which has contributed to the surge in new infections and increased pressure of hospital bed occupancy.

“We should be sober to confront this ruthless enemy threatening our very existence,” he said.

Sebegoe stressed that without the visibility of law enforcement to enforce the 9pm to 4am curfew and strict compliance with health protocols by public transport providers, the new measures will not achieve their intention.

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“While we understand the objective to maintain social distancing, the prohibition of family visits might have unintended consequences. It needs to be urgently revisited to take into account exceptional circumstances as this might in some cases put the lives of the vulnerable with co-morbidities, who are dependent on external support from family members, at risk,” said Sebegoe.

He said that schooling must be closely monitored for possible adjustment to the school calendar if Covid-19 infections continue to spike and threaten the lives of learners and educators.

He slammed the disruption of phased-in schooling in some parts of the country describing them as populist anarchy aimed at fuelling fear instead of hope.

“An unprecedented pandemic of the magnitude that the whole world is dealing with needs principled leadership, scientific basis for decision making, cooperation and stronger partnership if lives are to be saved,” he added.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

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