Enforce the law on illegal taverns, government

True to the government I have come to know, it turns a blind eye to drinking holes that do not appear on the registry of those who operate legally.

It’s business as usual, even when taverns outnumber schools, churches and libraries.

But come election time, our politicians are quick to “worry” about houses mushrooming as taverns with no licenses.

Township life has surely changed – and the lack of jobs is not to blame.

The honest truth is that the majority of the people who own these taverns are men and women who are employed. The tavern is just a secondary income.

It is not the only means of survival – yet they couldn’t care to register the business, license it and follow the letter of the law.

This is the South Africa we live in: one that allows the law to be circumvented, but we hide behind the “there are no jobs” rhetoric.

The shootings and deaths at these drinking halls leaves one with a heavy heart – and all that heartache is avoidable.

The recent Khayelitsha tavern mass shooting sparked an outcry. But this is nothing new. This illegal tavern should have been closed down.

Illegal bars and alcohol shops must be shut down because they are often the common denominator in crime and murder. Yet they flourish because, simply put, its easier to police a vendor selling fruits and veggies on a street corner than it is to police an illegal tavern that bypasses health and safety regulations, built right next to a high school and behind a place of worship.

In December, the community of Eldorado Park faced a similar crisis. And yet the lesson was not learned…

South Africa needs laws that are implemented. We cannot have decorative laws.

There shouldn’t be special treatment for the affluent, or sympathies for those of disadvantaged backgrounds.

The law should remain unmoved and consistent; it should not be gender- or racially biased; there should be no such things as white privilege.

Once we realise this, we will be able to uphold the law, regardless of who the perpetrator may be.

Kekeletso Nakeli-Dhliwayo.

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