The Gauteng provincial government has said that the trucks were each carrying stock to the value of R28 million.

SAB has since brought in big law firm Bowman to assist the arrested employees and get its trucks which have been impounded on the West Rand coming from the Chamdor Depot during another law enforcement operation.

The trucks were each carrying stock to the value of R28 million. Zoleka Lisa, SAB’s corporate affairs vice- president for South Africa,  said the movement of the alcohol at seven of its breweries, is provided for in the lockdown regulations.

“The alcohol in transit at the time of arrest and seizure was packaged inventory which had to be moved to a SAB-owned offsite storage facility as our warehouse storage capacity at the breweries had reached permissible limits,” wrote Lisa in a letter addressed to” colleagues.” “The alcohol seized was not for sale or distribution and was always in SAB’s possession.

Further to this, permission to transport a portion of our packed inventory had been obtained and SAB continues to operate within the confines of the law.”

The sale of products such as alcohol and cigarettes have been banned during the 21-day lockdown that came into effect last month and is expected to last until the 16th of this month.