Draft Western Cape Liquor Regulations aim to beef up enforcement, target unregulated outlets
Starting tomorrow, Friday 27 January 2017, the Department of Community Safety together with the Western Cape Liquor Authority will be hosting public consultation sessions across the province on the Draft Western Cape Liquor Regulations 2011: Amendment 2017.
In total seven public consultation sessions will be hosted between 27 January 2017 and 7 February 2017. The deadline for public comment is 28 February 2017.
The Western Cape Liquor Authority as well as the Western Cape Liquor Act regulates the licensing of retail sale and micro-manufacturing of liquor in the Western Cape.
The new draft Western Cape Liquor Regulations amendments are taking a tougher stance on illegal and unregulated traders to help ensure compliance, and assist in tackling alcohol harms reduction in the province.
The amended regulations places a responsibility on Liquor Inspectors in the province that they must visit all premises or vehicles where suspicions on reasonable grounds exist that liquor is being stored, conveyed or sold contrary to the provisions of the Liquor Act and must serve administrative notices if it is established that such premise is not duly licenced.
Such notice of illegal trading shall be filed with both the Department of Community Safety and the South African Police Service to enable better enforcement from the various liquor enforcement agencies, particularly the South African Police Service.
The province is prioritising the reduction in alcohol harms because:
- Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in South Africa;
- 70% of crimes in our communities are linked to substance abuse;
- 67% of domestic violence in our communities is alcohol related;
- 70% of trauma victims in our hospitals test positive for alcohol;
The new draft regulations are also aimed at reducing red tape for compliant liquor licence holders, or those wishing to appeal licensing decisions. The draft regulations propose a shorter appeals procedure, a right to appeal for events or temporary licence applications, as well as an automatic biennial renewal process for compliant licence holders.
The public consultation sessions are scheduled for:
- 27 January 2017 – Vredendal – Vredendal Community Centre
- 30 January 2017 – George - George Civic Centre
- 31 January 2017 – Beaufort West – Beaufort West Thusong Centre
- 2 February 2017 – Paarl – Paarl City Hall
- 3 February 2017 – Cape Town – Cape Town Lodge, CBD
- 4 February 2017 – Caledon – Victoria Community Hall
- 7 February 2017 – Langebaan – Langebaan Community Hall
I invite any interested person or organisation to submit comment on the draft regulations the Department of Community Safety has made available. Through effective liquor regulation, we hope to simultaneously stay up to date with the demands of the industry, and be responsive to the associated harm alcohol can cause in our communities.
The draft regulations are available on the Western Cape Government Website - https://www.westerncape.gov.za/assets/departments/premier/prov-gazette-extra_7719-extra-wc-liquor-regs-combined.pdf
Any submissions on the regulations can be sent, before 28 February 2017, for attention: Adv JC Gerber SC, by:
Posting it to:
Adv. JC Gerber SC
Department of Community Safety
PO Box 5346
Cape Town
8000
Delivering it to:
Adv. JC Gerber SC
Department of Community Safety
4th Floor
35 Wale Street
Cape Town
8001
Faxing it to:
086 531 4283; or
E-mailing it to:
jan.gerber@westerncape.gov.za (Mark the subject box clearly as: COMMENTS ON DRAFT REGULATIONS)
Kindly note that the name, telephone number, e-mail address, fax number and/or postal address of the person submitting the comment should be clearly indicated.
Media enquiries:
Ewald Botha
Cell: 079 694 1113
