My fellow South Africans. I write to you today with a heavy heart as our country, and indeed the world, sail through treacherous and uncharted waters whilst attempting to deal with this unprecedented situation in which we find ourselves. Every country in the world must navigate these waters too and deal with equally challenging situation. However, unlike almost every other country in the world we do so without the sweet comfort and warm embrace in which so many of us indulge. I speak of course of Alcohol. Sweet, delicious, tender alcohol which has been a point of national pride for as long as I can remember.

When Francois Pienaar lifted the William Web Ellis cup above his head, with Nelson Mandela standing right beside him, did they celebrate with water? NO! When John Smit stood victorious over a defeated English nation, did we all crack open an Oros?? NO! When the first ever black springbok captain became the first ever black captain to win the rugby world cup did we all raise our glasses of Fanta Grape? NO! Hell no! We as a nation were all drunk by 11am. When we watched the Proteas play in the Cricket world cup, did we drink rooibos tea to soothe our broken hearts? When Zozibini Tunzi brought back Miss Universe did we congratulate her with Coke Zero? When you come home after a long day and you just want to sit down and watch generations but Eskom kills your power for 4 hours, did we pour ourselves a guava flavored liqui fruit? And when Siphiwe Tshabalala scored the first goal of the 2010 soccer world cup and (for those few beautiful minutes) the collective hearts of the entire nation beat in unity, did we throw our Steri Stumpis in the air to celebrate? NO

When the nation is most united, we grab our black labels, our Johnny Walkers, our pinotages, our Castles, our chardonays, our Russian Bears, our Savannas, our Hunters. In our brightest and darkest times, we as a nation reached for our beers, our wines, and our spirits. That is the South African way. Except during this terribly dark and difficult time were we have been denied our fundamental South African right to drink. Simply put, when South African hearts beat in unity, so do our heads the next morning.

At our weddings, at our graduations, at our birthdays, and at our funerals, alcohol is there and has been there with us every step of the way. When we pour the umqombothi upon the thirsty African soil to honor those who have gone before, we do so with the greatest respect and dignity. Alcohol is entwined into the very essence of South Africa and we cannot now deny that.

We as a nation cannot deny that a lockdown is necessary to protect and save the lives of our most vulnerable. Indeed, one would never even know if their own life has been saved due to this lockdown and we all accept that but stripping away alcohol is like stripping away the African spirit. This nation has never been more united than when it has been drunk together. In these dark and terrible times, now more than ever, we need our great nation to come together in unity and I propose that the best way to do that is with a cold beer in all of our hands.

To the President: please let the sale of alcohol resume in some or other manner as has been done for cigarettes. 4 million people owe their lively hood to this industry and it contributes billions to the GDP. No other country has initiated such a severe ban and there is no evidence that it helps stall the spread of the virus. The nation cannot be in the grips of a global pandemic as well as Bheki Cele's personal vendettas. At the end of all of this Mr President, the nation will celebrate together and you will be toasted and what will be in their glasses when we do? Please, relive the dry throats of the nation and let us truly unite against this terrible virus in most the South African way possible.

Cheers.