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A joint Liquor operation inspection blitz and awareness campaign over the weekend by officials from The Department of Trade and Industry, (the dti), South African Police Service (SAPS), Western Cape Liquor Board, and Department of Agriculture and Forestry saw about three J534 issued, 1873.775 volume of alcohol litres confiscated, seven illegal liquor traders close down, five people were searched for possession of drugs and dangerous weapons , and fines to the value of ten thousand and six hundred rand (R10 600) being issued to non-compliant liquor traders.

More than 42 outlets ranging from Taverns, Shebeens, Restaurants, Distributors and Manufacturers were visited in Cape Town CBD, Khayelitsha, Phillippi East, Gugulethu, Nyanga and surrounding areas.

According to the Chief Director of the National Liquor Authority at the dti, Ms Prea Ramdhuny the operation was meant to enforce compliance with the Liquor Act, 2003 (Act 59 of 2003) and to also to address the increasing number of unlicensed traders, non-adherence to the licence conditions, trading hours and enforce compliance to liquor traders and distributors.

“The raids were conducted in terms of Section 26 of the  Liquor Act of 2003 which empowers an NLA inspector to conduct inspections and to issue compliance notices, to registrants that fail to adhere to their registration conditions and to produce relevant documents as prescribed by law,” said Ramdhuny.

Ramdhuny also said that the unannounced raids are key in ensuring distributors are selling liquor to licenced persons. She said the department is still facing the challenge in regulating liquor in that registrants continue to trade after the licence has been cancelled or do not comply with their registration conditions. In order to address this challenge, we will have to review licence conditions and registrants may stand to lose their licences as government  will not tolerate non adherence to the law.

The SAPS National Liquor Control, Colonel Sello Motau said after the Police assessment of crime tendencies in the Western Cape Province, criminal conduct in the areas of the places raided most are influenced by high levels of drug and alcohol abuse.

“It is also found that the cited areas have a large number of illegal and unlicensed liquor traders which are supplying liquor to young people and visibly pregnant women which is a contravention of the norms and standards set out in the National Liquor Act. Further, these areas are known for gangsterism and abuse of drugs by young people thus there was a need for awareness and education about the effects of alcohol,” said Motau.

Issued by Department of Trade and Industry