Steenhuisen: Alcohol ban 'an excuse and cover-up'

Steenhuisen made the comments after an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday evening that the sale of alcohol would be banned with immediate effect. 

Ramaphosa also confirmed that a daily curfew would be imposed between 9 pm and 4 am from Monday night to try and stem the tide of Covid-19 infections and deaths. 

“The argument that alcohol trauma is putting the system under pressure is simply an excuse and coverup for this failure," says Steenhuisen. 

"Alcohol is the scapegoat, not the reason. A curfew gives an illusion of control, when quite clearly the government has no control over the real issue, which is treatment and testing capacity.”

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Since the reintroduction of alcohol sales under level three of lockdown, healthcare facilities have reported a substantial increase in cases as a result of motor vehicle accidents, violence and related trauma.

This has also resulted in increased admissions to trauma and ICU units, taking up valuable space as more and more people are admitted with Covid-19 symptoms. 

However, the DA believes that the re-introduction of a curfew and a ban on alcohol is nothing but a “distraction from failure to build treatment and testing capacity".