Vinpro yesterday launched an urgent interim interdict application to lift the ban on the sale of wine in the Western Cape in a bid to seek interim relief for wine businesses.
“The latest ban of two weeks that has now been imposed follows on 19 weeks of revenue loss over the past 15 months, which has had a devastating effect on the wine and tourism sector that employs more than 269 000 people,” says Rico Basson, Vinpro MD.
“A large number of our wine producers and wineries are small – more than 80% of the 529 wineries are small and medium enterprises and are reliant on direct sales to customers. Although wine exports may continue, the industry exports less than 50% of annual production, with the other half sold on home soil. With no financial support from government for these businesses, their prospects, and that of employees, are extremely bleak.”
Vinpro and its industry partners made submissions to the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) last weekend, which entailed specific interventions that would ensure a balanced approach to curb the spread of Covid-19, while also keeping the economy afloat. The representations in respect of this risk-adjusted approach were however not taken into account and a blanket ban was announced.
Vinpro initially approached the High Court on January 27 this year to seek urgent relief relating to the previous ban. This was subsequently postponed when the restrictions were lifted and the matter was set to be heard in the Western Cape High Court on August 23-27 before a full bench of judges. Vinpro, however, reserved the right to launch an interim interdict in case of a full ban being reinstated before the court date.
Urgent interim relief will now be sought which would afford the premier of the Western Cape the power to adopt deviations to the national ban to enable off- and on-consumption sale of liquor in the province. Similar relief will be sought in respect of other provinces.
“We need to make and implement decisions that balance preserving both lives and livelihoods. Decisions should be made at a provincial level, based on scientific evidence and according to the infection rate and hospital admissions across these provinces,” Basson says.
The preliminary date for this hearing is scheduled for this Friday (July 2).
Vinpro is a non-profit company which represents close to 2 600 South African wine producers, cellars and industry stakeholders.
