Pretoria - Fourteen liquor traders were shut down while fines worth R31 500 were issued in a crackdown on illegal alcohol traders in Mpumalanga.
In a statement on Sunday, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) said during the blitz, which started on Thursday, 33 outlets were visited by national and provincial liquor authorities, officials from the dti, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Mpumalanga Liquor Authority and the Department of Home Affairs.
“The operation visited 33 outlets, closed down 14, and issued 24 compliance notices and fines to the value of R31 500 to non-compliant license holders,” said the dti.
The outlets, which ranged from taverns, restaurants, distributors and manufacturers, were raided in Witbank, Ackerville, Vosman, Lynnville, Tasbet, Middleburg and Mhluzi.
According to the Director of Legal Support and Prosecutions at the dti’s National Liquor Authority (NLA), Advocate Sandile Nkosi, the inspection blitz was meant to address the increasing number of underage drinking, non-adherence to the licence conditions, trading hours and to enforce compliance among liquor traders.
“The majority of outlets that were targeted failed to adhere to the Act and regulations and were issued with compliance fines for various transgressions. These included clients drinking outside permitted areas, failure to produce relevant documents as prescribed by law, supplying liquor to already intoxicated persons, selling liquor to minors and leasing of licences,” said Nkosi.
Nkosi pointed out that there was a growing trend in leasing licences from original owners to tenants and that in most cases the latter acted in violation of the law.
He said there was a need to make it an offence to the owner of the licence to hire it out so that irresponsible trading can be curbed.
He added that some of these outlets were also running illegal online gambling operations disguised as internet cafes on the same premises without fear of being caught. One gambling spot was closed down during the inspection blitz in Witbank.
SAPS Mpumalanga Liquor Control Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Carling Monashane, stressed the importance of an integrated approach by all stakeholders in curbing alcohol related crimes in areas visited.
Elijah Mamba, the Provincial Manager for Compliance at Mpumalanga Liquor Authority, indicated that most outlets were closed down due to their failure to adhere to their licensing conditions. – SAnews.gov.za
