Wine Farmers To Fight Ban In Court

Government’s recent decision to reinstate the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages is expected to bring an already struggling wine industry to its knees, with some farmers feeling that not enough has been done by representative bodies to protect them. Jeandré van der Walt reports.

- Jeandre van der Walt

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that the ban on alcohol sales had to be reinstated as government had clear evidence that the resumption of alcohol sales resulted in substantial pressure being place on medical facilities.

“As we head towards the peak of infections, it is vital that we do not burden our clinics and hospitals with alcohol-related injuries that could have been avoided. We have therefore decided that the sale, dispensing and distribution of alcohol will be suspended with immediate effect,” he said.

According to estimates by Vinpro, the South African wine industry, which employed around 300 000 people, would lose close to 18 000 jobs, while nearly 80 wineries and 350 wine grape producers would close their businesses during the next year, due to the ban on exports and domestic wine sales.