The wine industry says the provincial government should be given powers by the national government to determine whether to allow off-site consumption of alcohol in the Western Cape.The wine industry’s court challenge against government’s 14-day lockdown level 4 booze ban has been postponed.
Vinpro, an organisation which represents about 2,600 wine and grape producers, has listed President Cyril Ramaphosa as the first respondent, traditional affairs and co-operative governance minister Nkosazana-Dlamini Zuma as the second respondent and Western Cape premier Alan Winde as the third respondent in their court papers.On Thursday, Vinpro said its legal counsel had been approached by government’s legal counsel “requesting a short postponement with the tight timelines provided”.
Vinpro submitted its interdict application on June 29, after a national ban on liquor sales was reinstated on June 27. In its court application, the non-profit organisation said its wants the ban lifted on transportation of liquor and off-site consumption in the Western Cape only. It argued it was not challenging the ban on on-site consumption in bars, taverns and shebeens anywhere in the country, including the Western Cape. It said after a court ruling overturned the tobacco ban last year, the liquor industry is the only consumer product targeted by government bans as part of the fight against Covid-19.