Advisors did not recommend first alcohol ban

One of the members of the COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee has said that they did not recommend the first ban on alcohol sales.

Professor Francois Venter said that the alcohol ban was only discussed under level 3 lockdown.

He further stated that some other regulations don’t make sense.

The Professor is among the committee members calling on the government to release the committee’s advisories.

Venter said that the lack of transparency is causing confusion.

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“On one hand you have a situation where the government is saying you must not go party, the president was saying he is worried about young people going to party, but it is okay to go to church, it is okay to get into a crowded taxi. It’s not okay to go see your family for Sunday breakfast. Those things don’t make sense,” Venter said.

Moreover, he said that he does not know where some decisions come from:

“The previous alcohol ban and all the range aspects of the lockdowns I’m not sure where those decisions came from. The government keeps saying scientists are making these decisions, it is part of our frustrations, actually.”

Venter also said that some of these regulaions have broken the social compact.

However, Zweli Mkhize, Health Minister is refusing to make the documents public.

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