Vinpro awaits confirmation of new court date

By Lisa Riley

Published: 08 February, 2021

Vinpro has said it now awaits confirmation of a new expedited court date in its battle to avoid any future disruptions to the South African wine industry and its value-chain.

The announcement follows Vinpro’s decision, based on advice from its legal team, not to proceed with the “extremely urgent application” for an interim interdict to have the liquor ban lifted in the Western Cape last Friday.

In view of the partial lifting of the liquor ban by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 1 February, Vinpro said it had been advised that the matter could not proceed, as confirmed with the legal representatives for the government, because the court would no longer regard it as extremely urgent (due to the partial lifting of the liquor ban).

The case, however, was still regarded as “urgent”, said Vinpro.

“Vinpro, through our legal team, now awaits confirmation of a new expedited date, to be agreed with the legal representatives for the government, on which the main court challenge, in respect of the manner in which these liquor bans are imposed in our country, will be heard,” it said.

In the absence of heard immunity – which may or may not be reached in South Africa at the end of 2021 – Vinpro reiterated its fear that national government would again resort to a nationwide ban on the local sale of liquor, as it has done in the past, when a third or fourth wave of infection hits the country.

“Therefore Vinpro will go ahead and challenge the manner in which these bans are imposed,” the industry body said.

SA wine businesses have not been able to earn any income from local wine sales for a total of 20 weeks since March 2020, which has led to an overall loss of more than R8bn in direct sales revenue and still threatens the survival of cellars, wine grape producers and the livelihoods of 27,000 employees in the wine industry value-chain.

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