Musical Entertainment at On-site Liquor Consumption Establishments During Lockdown Level 1

As from 30 October 2020 in Port Elizabeth, The South African Police Services (SAPS) instructed on-site Liquor Consumption Establishments not to allow Musical Entertainment through a form of DJs and no Dancing allowed at on-site Liquor Consumption Establishments.

The Disaster Management Act of 2002 Covid-19 Regulations applicable at the time is Government Notice No. 46725 Covid-19 Level 1 Alert Regulations. on-site Liquor Consumption Establishments are regulated by Section 66, sub-section 69 (1), sub-section 12 (b) and sub-section 77 (1)(b). The relevant Ministry of Police has not issued any further directive that is additiional to the regulations. Understanding that the Ministry and its personnel may use its discretion to ensure that regulations are adhered to in partitular Regulations Sub-section 69 (1). However restriction of Musical Entertainment and Dancing are not isolated activities at an on-site liqour consumption establishments, other activities include use of bathrooms, standing in ques, general movement, etc. When the State decided, it was provisionally safe for on-site liquor consumption establishements to operate under Leve 1 and the Police Minister not extending to the regulations, it permited activities that occur at on-site liquor consumption establishements.

The two activities that the SAPS has instructed to be prohibited are an essecial and economic part of on-site liquor consumption establishements and relavant art and entertainment industry. By prohibiting these activities, you are not only impacting on the financial health of on-site liquor consumption establishements but servely impacting on the arts and entertainment industry. In our Region, Nelson Mandela Bay, arts and entertainment in partitular during Covid-19 Level 1 Lockdown is dependent in on-site liquor consumption establishements. When these activities are prohibited, it means no jobs to Musicians, DJs and other Artists which the government has failed to supoort in its Covid-19 Relief Fund Schemes. 

We appeeal to Government and Minister of Police to lift the prohibition of the Musical and Dancing Activities and apply the law when applicable regulations are seen to to be adhered to by specific on-site liquor consumption establishements. 

We hope the above is in order. 

MVP DreamTeam    Contact the author of the petition