MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mrs Pinky Phosa has called on all liquor outlets in the province to comply with liquor legislation.
Phosa made an appeal after the Department of Economic Development Environment and Tourism liquor inspectors in conjunction with the South African Police Service, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs raided several liquor outlets during the three days blitz around Mbombela municipality.
Out of 25 liquor outlets which were inspected during the blitz, 11 were found not complying with the Liquor Act, and they were closed down while the other 14 were given fines totalling R18 000 for contriving the Liquor Act and licence conditions. These included the sub-letting of liquor licences; failure to produce liquor licences upon demand; trading with the deceased’s licence, and effecting structural changes to the premised without the Liquor Board’s consent.
When delivering the Policy and Budget Speech earlier this year, MEC Phosa also made a commitment to fund the Mpumalanga Liquor Authority (MLA) to the tune of R6,6 million to ensure that liquor affairs are well regulated in the province.
“I am calling on all liquor licence holders in the province to comply with our liquor legislation and license conditions, and failure to comply with the liquor legislation, will leave the department with no choice but to close those non-compliant liquor outlets.
"The department will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies, and including the criminal justice cluster, in its quest to ensure that the liquor industry is well regulated in the province,” said MEC Phosa.
