Alcohol industry spared lengthy ban as churches celebrate

SA’s alcohol industry has been hit with a four-day ban on sales for offsite consumption, though it is probably breathing a sigh of relief to have escaped a total prohibition that could have crippled it.

While bars, restaurants and taverns will be able to sell alcohol, supermarkets and other stores will not be able to do so from Friday until Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address on Tuesday night. He kept the country on level 1 of the national lockdown with some tweaks to help prevent a new surge in Covid-19 infections...