Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane will lobby national government to reinstate a liquor ban under Level 3 lockdown for his province, due to fears that alcohol will harm the battle against Covid-19 infections.
Mabuyane will petition the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to have the ban on alcohol reintroduced in his province.
Speaking to News24 on Monday, Mabuyane said the province had seen a surge in alcohol-related incidents since the country moved to Level 3.
Since the resumption of alcohol, provincial reports from 1 June until 7 June also indicated a surge in people contravening lockdown regulations, he said.
In May, Mkhize explained how provincial districts would be assigned a lockdown level, saying the government had adapted its approach to combating Covid-19 and shifted its focus to be narrower.
