WITH the recent approval of the Western Cape Liquor Amendment Bill, illegal dealers of alcohol are warned that their reigns will now be dramatically tightened.
The Amendment Bill makes the following changes.
It provides for the establishment of the Western Cape Liquor Authority, which will consider liquor licence applications. It will replace the current Liquor Board. It removes the possibility of a special event licence being granted to a school. This is in line with the National Schools Act, which prohibits the sale of alcohol on school premises. It gives municipalities the power to determine trading hours and days. It does away with the payment of security for the costs of an appeal to the Appeal Tribunal. This makes it easier to appeal the granting or refusal of a licence.
As soon as the Liquor Amendment Bill is assented to, further provisions of the Western Cape Liquor Act (2008) will be brought into operation. In January, we will establish the Liquor Authority and, in co-operation with Designated Police Officers, metro law enforcement and the South African police, begin to target distributors that are supplying illegal liquor outlets. Later in 2011, we will commence with a targeted campaign against individual liquor outlets that are operating illegally.
Those who continue to flout the law will be shown no mercy. Serious offences, such as selling liquor without a licence, selling liquor to underage children or supplying liquor instead of wages (Dop-System), will be liable for fines of up to R1 million or imprisonment of up to 5 years.
Since the original Act was passed two years ago, liquor establishments have had a window period in which to find suitably zoned premises from which to operate legally, become licensed, or alternatively, migrate to other forms of trade.
Most have done neither. Instead, they have continued to sell liquor in contravention of the law to the detriment of surrounding families.
There are currently around 25 000 illegal shebeens in the Western Cape. Our province is the worst in the country in terms of binge drinking, alcohol related violence and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In addition, there is a strong link between underage drinking and academic failure.
Liquor related road accidents cost the provincial government between R4 billion and R6 billion every year.
