No liquor sales on Sundays?

April 1 2011 at 03:00pm
By Candice Bailey

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Photo: Matthew Jordaan
Gauteng liquor outlets might soon be forced to close their doors on Sundays.

Premier Nomvula Mokonyane on Thursday a review of the province’s liquor regulations were being finalised – and it could mean no more liquor trading on Sunday.

She was speaking at the launch of the Gauteng Co-Created Policing Strategy just a day after national police commissioner General Bheki Cele had said 50 percent of the country’s crime was generated in Gauteng.

Mokonyane was joined by provincial police commissioner Mzwandile Petros and Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko.

Calling liquor the number one generator of crime in the province, Mokonyane said the sale of alcohol generally was killing the moral fibre of society. Gauteng was the only province that traded liquor seven days a week.

“We are finalising the review of the liquor regulations in Gauteng. The proliferation of liquor outlets is the number one generator of crime… We want to say bottlestores must close on Sunday. Let’s have a break. Go to church or go to a jazz club and so on. We also want to close outlets within 500m of public facilities (like schools).”

The premier added they would look at rezoning rights and liquor licences that were issued illegally without site inspections.

However, most liquor outlets aren’t too fazed by the plan.

Elize Ben, from Pink Panther Liquor discounters in Brakpan, reckons her business won’t suffer. “There will be more sober people on the road. And it will be one day that we can rest,” she said.

Carlos Gomes from Doornspruit Cellars in Sandton agrees. “It will take it back to the old days. Our business won’t be affected. Slightly maybe, but not much. People need family time together, even our staff.” He said it would impact positively on communities.

Gomes has one store in Kya Sand that is “extremely busy” on Sundays. “But if all stores are closed on a Sunday, people will buy their liquor on Saturdays, so no one will have an advantage.”

But Maureen Mhlongo, who owns Shakara Liquor Store in Jabulani, Soweto, said it was bad news.

“It should at least be open for half a day. Saturdays and Sundays are our busiest time, especially if you compare it to our midweek sales. We rely on the business on a Sunday.”

Liquor is, however, not the only part of the Gauteng Co-Created Policing Strategy.

Mokonyane named illegal drug-manufacturing plants, hijacked buildings and hostels, bank-following (where robbers prey on people who have made bank withdrawals), ATM bombings, and spaza shops that do not use the banking system as other generators of crime.

She said Petros and Mazibuko would meet with the chiefs of the metro police departments to establish plans to improve crime fighting. She said they were sorting out the detectives of the police, looking at how many “warm bodies there are, how they are working, the resources and the mobilisation of resources”.

Implementation of the Second-hand Goods Act was another important part of the plan. Mazibuko said there were blocks in Midvaal where all the water meters had been stolen. In Diepkloof, street lights were stolen or vandalised.

“Don’t buy it if you don’t know where it comes from. We will arrest people who buy second-hand goods,” she said.

The Star

Comments by Sonny

Why don't be just go back to the olden days and ban liquor altogether?

We can also ban the sale of petrol/diesel and ride bicycles to work and back!

With all these price hikes - we are all just GATVOL!!