It appears that help could be on its way for businesses that have been disrupted by the latest lockdown rules intended to curb the ‘third wave’ of COVID-19 currently sweeping across South Africa.
The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) meeting promised by Thulas Nxesi, Minister of Employment and Labour, at a June 28 NCCC ministerial briefing on the lockdown regulations, was held on Wednesday, June 30.
According to a report by Business Times, Martin Kingston, chairperson of the steering committee of Business for SA, said there had been “an acknowledgement on all sides that there was a need to continue providing support, in some cases retrospective support, for example, for the events industry and then particularly the leisure, hospitality and tourism sector”. The discussion included for how long extra TERS benefits should be extended (the view is that the lockdown will continue longer than the envisaged two weeks).
In the same report, Wendy Alberts, ceo of the Restaurant Association of SA, said large sit-down restaurants could not survive by serving only take-out meals. She said 50% of restaurants in SA had closed since the start of the first lockdown in 2020, bringing the number of restaurants from 21 000 pre-pandemic, down to 11 000 before the latest lockdown. She estimated that 750 000 jobs had been lost in the process.
Meanwhile, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, ceo of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) said in an interview on Moneyweb on July 2, regarding the need for TERS: “We can’t wait. A decision needs to be made now to avoid further job losses and heartache for our workers, many of whom are already on half-pay and are battling to make ends meet.”
SAB and Vinpro are reportedly taking legal action against the liquor ban.
