Taverns without permits must be shut down within 48 hours – Bheki Cele

Police Minister Bheki Cele has called for taverns operating without permits to be shut down within 48 hours.

Cele was addressing the media in Diepsloot in Gauteng during a festive season operation in which he will visit various parts of the province throughout Friday.

“We are making a call to make this place safer. You don’t have to have taverns that close at four in the morning,” he said.

He also expressed concern that some taverns allowed minors on the premises.

“We don’t have taverns that are not respecting the law and are not compliant [and] we find the under 18s there, finding them making noise there.

“So the instruction is that those that do not have permits or licences must shut down within 48 hours,” he said.

Cele also implored male police officers to respect women who reported abuse.

“Male officers take care of women, respect women as they come to police stations to report the abuse by their partners mostly, these ugly husbands and ugly boyfriends [who] disrespect and abuse women,” he said.

He also warned officers against turning victims away to “negotiate with their partners”.

“We don’t negotiate peace with the people who abuse women. You go there, you arrest them and keep them where they are supposed to be,” he said.

This week, the minister was in Limpopo and North West to conduct safety operations.

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