While the sale of liquor will be permitted from 1 June under lockdown level three regulations, Police Minister Bheki Cele earlier this evening appealed to South Africans to cooperate by adhering to regulations in this regard.
“No gatherings are permitted, which means you still drink alone. You may also only move your liquor on the days on which you are allowed to buy it. The police are soft, but don’t push them,” he warned.
The minister was joined by the Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi in a media briefing by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Safety Cluster, which outlined further regulations that will apply in the sector during lockdown level three.
Earlier today, it was announced that liquor will be sold only on Monday to Thursday between 09:00 and 17:00. No sale of liquor will be permitted on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays.
While the sale of cigarettes is still not permitted under level three, Cele used the opportunity to warn citizens who planned to transgress this regulation. “You can’t buy something that is prohibited. Cigarettes are against the law. Be prepared to tell the police where you got your cigarettes.” He further warned that no social visits are allowed, and citizens should therefore remain at home. “Visiting your friends, your girlfriend or boyfriend, from kasi to kasi (area to area), is not permitted under level three. No social visits are allowed.”
The Police Minister further commented to say that there is a direct relationship between the number of lockdown transgression committed, and the country’s Covid-19 hotspots. “Most offenders come from the Western Cape, followed by that of Gauteng. The Northern Cape, which has the lowest infection rate, also has the lowest number of transgressions.” He said the police would increase roadblocks in all hotspots as a result.
Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, during the briefing said that even though lockdown regulations will be eased, that the cluster would ensure that the new regulations as announced by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), will be adhered to.
“Under level three, the responsibility of preventing the spread of the disease will be in the hands of every member of society. Each person is expected to adhere to all precautionary measures which include social distancing, washing hands, practising cough etiquette, avoiding handshaking and touching, wearing masks in public spaces and staying home when you are ill,” she said.
She furthermore announced that during level three, Home Affairs will be offering the following essential services:
- registration of births;
- reissue of birth certificates;
- late registration of birth (by appointment);
- marriage services;
- death certificates;
- issuing temporary IDs;
- collection of IDs applied for prior to the lockdown, and;
- the issuing of passports only for people involved in the cross-border transportation of essential goods and medicines.
No visa or permitting functions will be open to the public in South Africa and at missions abroad during level three, she added, while asylum and refugee services will remain closed. All asylum seeker permits lawfully issued which have expired or are to expire during the period of the national state of disaster are deemed to have been extended up to and including 31 July 2020.
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