Thirsty desperate thieves steal alcohol to beat the second alcoholic ban due to COVID-19

Wine and beers store. FILE

Just two days after South Africa reinstated a ban on alcohol to control the scope of the coronavirus, thieves have broken into a liquor store in Cape Town.


“They emptied the whiskies,” Mark Kallend, shop owner of Liquor Bothasig, told News24 about the incident early on Tuesday morning.


“They ripped the safety gate off with their vehicle… they tied a rope around it and yanked it off. They then threw a boulder through the window,” he said.


" Bottles of wine and brandy were left untouched," he added.


Mr Kallend said the incident showed how desperate people were.


President Cyril Ramaphosa said the alcohol ban is the second this year and would take the pressure off the health system.

When it comes to coronavirus, South Africa is the hardest-hit country in Africa with more than 275,000 cases.

Deaths resulting from Covid-19 have also risen to more than 4,000, and government projections estimate this could increase to 50,000 by the end of the year.