After threatening President Cyril Ramaphosa with legal action if the lockdown ban on alcohol is not relaxed, the Gauteng Liquor Forum (GLF) has extended The Presidency’s deadline for a response to close of business today.

Presidential spokesperson, Khusela Diko, said that the presidency will not respond to the forum’s litigation threat publicly. “We will do so in private and do not believe a press release will be necessary,” she told Caxton Local Media at 12:00 today.

On Saturday, the GLF sent Ramaphosa a letter demanding that the regulations banning alcohol during lockdown be amended or lifted.

“Unless we receive the written undertaking from the honourable president by no later than 12:00 on Tuesday April 14, our clients will have no option but to approach court on an urgent basis for appropriate relief,” the letter reads.

Also read: Alcohol ban remains in force

The forum represents 20 000 businesses in Gauteng that were upset because their members were not given the opportunity to make representations on the possible relaxing of “the draconian provisions such as the total ban on alcohol and cigarettes”.

They stated that this should have been given before the president announced an extension to the lockdown period on Thursday.

According to the letter, GLF members would take the matter to the Constitutional Court in order to pursue their financial wellbeing and protect their legal and constitutional rights.