The Western Cape Department of Community Safety says for the week of October 11 to 17, 283 liquor inspections were conducted with 202 inspections focusing on underage drinking.
According to the department, fifteen licence holders were prosecuted for contravention of the Act and/or licence conditions, five holders were fined with fines totalling R95 000 and eight licenses were suspended after the Western Cape Liquor Authority conducted integrated operations with SAPS and law enforcement agencies in Kraaifontein, Philippi East, Beaufort West, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Beaufort West and Langa.
The department said further that 29 compliance notices were also issued to licence holders, and 18 non-compliance cases were submitted for prosecution.
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Community Safety MEC, Albert Fritz indicated that these figures show that there is enforcement that will help prevent alcohol-related harms in our communities, which is a major problem in our province.
” Fifteen operators have been handed over for prosecution. Fines of almost R100 000 were issued. Inspections were also conducted in areas including Cape Town, Constantia, Elsies River, Kraaifontein, Melkbosstrand, Newlands, Nyanga, and Stellenbosch and others; in a total of 26 areas,” said Fritz.
The minister added that his department calls on the SAPS to apply themselves to the policing of illegal liquor traders as the Western Cape Liquor Authority’s enforcement is limited to legal traders and making sure that they comply with the regulations.
“We know that a number of illegal liquor businesses have sprouted over the COVID-19 period, and so we need SAPS to do more in the space,” Fritz concluded.
Meanwhile, the department urges anyone who witnesses any criminal acts, or who has any other information that will assist SAPS in making arrests to call the SAPS Command Centre at 021 466 0011.
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Picture: Cape {town} etc gallery