SA lockdown: Police Minister Bheki Cele wishes alcohol ban could extend beyond lockdown
Police Minister Bheki Cele welcomed the general decrease in serious and violent crimes during the lockdown and, in part, attributed this to the prohibition of the sale and movement of liquor since the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown.
In an interview with City Press on 5 April, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that he wishes the alcohol ban could be extended beyond the 21-day lockdown.
In a statement released on 5 April, Cele welcomed the general decrease in serious and violent crimes during the lockdown. He attributed this to a number of factors including the prohibition of the sale and movement of liquor since the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown.
In the interview, he said, “It is a known thing that alcohol is part of the crime generators … [When it comes to] most people who are murdered or sexually abused, it usually starts on Thursday until the end of the weekend [and] those people will be found at alcohol outlets.”
He added that he believes that minimising the use of alcohol was a step in the right direction for South Africa.
