Durban – My fellow South Africans, contrary to what has been said in a voice note doing the rounds on social media, President Cyril Ramaphosa will not be addressing the country and there are no plans to reinstate the ban on alcohol.
Earlier on Tuesday, a voice note was shared in multiple groups on social media where an unnamed man claims the government will ban the sale of alcohol.
According to the recording, bottle stores will be closed on Tuesday night and Ramaphosa is expected to address the country at 8pm.
The person heard on the recording claims that the president will close bottle stores due to the drunk driving accidents.
"I'm just letting you know the bottle stores will be closing. Will be the last day today. Tonight, 8 o'clock he is talking," the person claims.
The ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted last week Tuesday, however under strict conditions.
The sale of alcohol is only allowed between Monday and Thursday from 9am to 5pm.
The DA’s trade and industry spokesperson, Natasha Mazzone, said that the voice note was fake.
“People need to treat such voice notes with caution as they cause panic,” he said.
The Presidency’s acting spokesperson, Tyrone Seale, said there was no truth to the voice note.
He said if the President is to address the country, an official statement would be released.
“We have not made any statements about this,” he said.
According to the Presidency, Ramaphosa would be attending the weekly national coronavirus command council (NCCC) meeting.
Ramaphosa postponed his engagement with the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) on Tuesday evening and has now directed Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu to work with the forum to schedule a new date, which will likely be early new week.
Tthe question-and-answer session would have been a fulfilment of the commitment Ramaphosa made publicly in another engagement with Sanef in May.
The NCCC meeting comes as the government expressed its concerns about the recent spate of fatal accidents following the reopening of liquor sales.
The first weekend of lockdown alert level 2 and unbanning of alcohol sales saw a number of fatal vehicle accidents across the country, including that of three Tshwane Metro Police Department officers.
Pretoria News reported that the officers had been chasing a suspected drunk driver on the N4 between Trans Orange Road and Rebecca Street in Pretoria West.
Metro police spokesperson Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said they had spotted a vehicle driving recklessly and facing oncoming traffic in the CBD.
They tried to stop the vehicle, which was heading in a westerly direction, but the driver continued, prompting the police to call for back-up.
They were joined by another team of three male officers, which was in the area. The back-up vehicle was then involved in a head-on collision with the fleeing vehicle.
All three officers died on the scene. The driver of the vehicle being chased also died, while his female passenger was rushed to hospital.
”It cannot be acceptable that three Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers are among the people who died in alcohol-related vehicle accidents that occurred in Gauteng this past weekend. Government sends its condolences to the families and loved ones of the three officers who died in such a tragic manner,” Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said in a statement on Monday.
”While many South Africans are responsible in their use of alcohol, the government and society cannot sit idle while lives are being destroyed as a result of alcohol abuse and binge drinking,” Williams said. - Additional reporting by Political Bureau
The Mercury