SA’s long, toxic relationship with alcohol bans

It’s coming up to a year since alcohol sales were first prohibited as part of SA’s Covid lockdown strategy. Right now, though many people in the country are weeping tears of joy into their single malt because booze sales are back on again, it seems clear that the success of the on-again, off-again bans in reducing pressure on our hospitals has got the government interested in developing more long-termcurbs to alcohol sales and consumption.

Alcohol restrictions have a long history in SA — though this is the first time that the bans have affected citizens of all races...