The wine industry’s Western Cape High Court application for an urgent interdict against government’s 14-day lockdown level four alcohol ban – scheduled to be heard yesterday – has been postponed again, this time because there were no judges available to hear it.

It was first postponed on 2 July, observes a TimesLIVE report. Vinpro, which is leading the case, said the interim interdict application was confirmed to the roll of 7 July for a hearing after it launched an urgent application on 29 June, when the latest liquor ban came into force.

‘The two duty judges for the hearing of urgent applications this week both indicated earlier this week they will unfortunately not be in a position to hear the interim interdict application as they have already been appointed to hear Vinpro’s main application set down for hearing from 23-26 August. No alternative judges are available.’

The organisation represents about 2 600 wine and grape producers.

‘We are extremely disappointed by this turn of events and are in urgent consultation with our legal team on the way forward,’ said Vinpro MD Rico Basson.

Vinpro has listed President Cyril Ramaphosa as the first respondent, Traditional Affairs & Co-operative Governance Minister Nkosazana-Dlamini Zuma as the second respondent and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde as the third respondent.

It wants the ban on the sale of wine in the Western Cape lifted. In its application, the non-profit organisation said it wants the ban lifted on transportation of liquor and off-site consumption in the Western Cape only.

It argued it was not challenging the ban on on-site consumption in bars, taverns, and shebeens anywhere in the country, including the Western Cape.

Full TimesLIVE report