Task team to tackle illegal liquor outlets

Alex police and concerned stakeholders formed a task team to tackle the mushrooming of illegal liqour outlets and other related bylaw violators which have been fingered as drivers of unrelenting crime.

This was derived from the findings of a Citizen Based Monitoring survey by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation which sought citizens’ input into the government’s plans in tackling crime and related safety and security challenges.

Alex residents linked crime with the mushrooming of taverns and shebeens, laxity in bylaw enforcement, poor communication and lack of trust between police and residents, and the alleged corruption by some police officers. They also urged for the revival of regular engagement of residents and tavern operators with law enforcement which enabled the police to recover many illegal weapons and gain insight into criminal activities planned at drinking outlets.

The stakeholders including the police, community policing forum, government departments, community development workers, South African Breweries and the Liquor Licencing Board resolved to include tavern and shebeen operators on the team.

Many crimes such as rapes, murders, robberies and assaults are associated with drinking and walking home from the liquor outlets late at night. The drinking outlets were also blamed for noise pollution which affected workers and families’ peaceful sleep, and children doing homework and studying for examinations.

Alex police’s acting station commander Colonel Nhluvuko Zondi said the police were ill-equipped to detect fraudulent liquor operators without the help from the Liquor Licensing Board. “The township is utter chaos on weekends from excessive alcohol drinking and abuse,” Zondi stated.

Local councillor, Adolph Moremi, decried poor bylaw enforcement which he said enabled shebeens to abuse operating hours, cause noise pollution and enable children to access liquor easily, some of which was smuggled and consumed on school premises. “This is destroying the township’s future professionals,” he said.

Community development workers complained of poor enforcement of building control and environmental bylaws which they said resulted in many illegal beer outlets in crowded shacks, operators obtaining fake liquor licences and operating beyond normal hours and blocking off streets for raucous parties.

Cleo Bodibe-Lushaba of the Liqour Licensing Board said it was difficult to apply all liqour regulations in crowded places such as Alexandra. She said there may be a need to review the regulations and also disclosed that shebeens established after 2007 were illegal as no permits were issued after then.

Details: Sibongile Masemola 072 348 8468.

Read: SAB and Tshebelisano Support Group tackle alcohol abuse