The sale and possession of alcohol and tobacco is now illegal. The officials say that the new prohibition is working to reduce violent crime but at the same time it is fueling criminal gangs. Also by outlawing booze and cigarettes they are keeping hospital beds free for those afflicted by Covid-19. Anytime you outlaw something the people will rebel. 7 million litres of beer down the drain and vineyards going broke.
People are going to start bootlegging which can cause blindness and other health problems. Alcohol like other drugs must be made properly. People are not going to stop drinking. South Africa should look at American prohibition for an example. I see the health concern but getting high is a way to pass the time and ease boredom. People will find a way.
It's a very sad thing to see people fight this, instead of acknowledging the good it would bring. My 40 years of straight edge have been nothing but a net positive to me.
Any connection to covid-19 makes little sense to me. Here in the UK, closing clubs and bars has reduced hospital admissions for drunks and the injuries caused by the idiots fighting by more than 90%. People drinking in the home environment rarely wind up in hospital as a result. The vineyard part makes even less sense, since SA has a huge export market in fairly high quality wines. On the home market, wine is not the choice drink of alcoholics. How will prohibition reduce crime, violent or otherwise.? I cannot see any connection between alcohol bought in shops to crime, but forcing it onto the black market will drastically increase criminal activity. Their must be some hidden agenda that we don't know about as yet.
For many years I have found Africa and its politics, history, as well as the numerous natural resources available very interesting. Wilbur Smith has written a series of books that combine fact with fiction all about Africa (mostly S Africa) and Australia. At any rate, from everything I've ever learned about Africa, I would agree with @wilsjane there must be a hidden agenda going on. We on the outside (not in Africa) don't know, but I bet the people in the midst of this hell know why and what is really going on. Africa is continent wealthy beyond (my) comprehension just from their natural resources. It is also a continent of hidden fighting and bizarre government laws, rules, and guidelines.
I don't know whether the Merula fruit trees grow that far South, but somewhere in Africa they grow in abundance. The fruit is favoured by Elephants, but when they fill themselves with it, the fruit ferments inside them and makes them drunk. If South Africans have access to such fruit, it is an easy task to make alcohol from them !!!
When I thought further about all of this, my mind went to a possible Muslim connection. History verifies that many African people have been converted over the years, which in turn has resulted in Asian immigration and many of these immigrants are seeking their wealth in the country. While I don't generally see this as a problem, the moment that extreme followers of the Muslim faith (such as Islamic State) work their way into positions of power, the country is going to be in serious trouble. This is just a thought on my part, but it bears all of the hallmarks.
i agree that there's some hidden agenda. if they did it for the reasons listed, they're absolute idiots. prohibition is pretty much guaranteed to increase crime, not reduce it. and freeing up hospital beds? by forcing all the alcoholics into immediate detox? cigarettes don't put you immediately into the hospital; they cause long term health issues. maybe south africa plans on covid being around for a long, long time? well the obvious difference is that it was your choice. south africans aren't all going to suddenly turn straight edge, they're just going to start ingesting unregulated chemicals bought from criminals.
