Vryheid club in hot water for illegal sale of alcohol

Lolo Madonsela

Just a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lifting of the alcohol ban, a local business found itself in hot water for the illegal sale of liquor before the lifting of the ban came into effect on Tuesday. According to the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) on Covid-19, a local club was “caught with its pants down” openly selling booze on Sunday.
The JOC then called the SAPS to intervene. The owner of the establishment was arrested and later released on a R1500 fine.
“We are very disappointed that there are still people who do not adhere to the lockdown regulations while they can see that AbaQulusi has become an epicentre of Covid-19,” said JOC Secretary Phumlani Mchunu.
Relating how the events leading to the arrest of the owner unfolded, Mchunu said, “Some of our JOC members saw a group of people relaxing and drinking in one of the households in Bhekuzulu Location, so they casually asked where they had bought the alcohol. That is when they were referred to this establishment. When they got there, it was business as usual. They were not selling liquor via the back door, but as they normally would, giving receipts after paying, and the shelves were packed with liquor. There were a lot of people in groups, as there is also a car wash, and they were openly drinking there.

Also read: JOC dissatisfied with Vryheid Hospital

“Our members bought liquor as evidence and took photos as well. That was when they informed the JOC executive. We then called the police to assist and the owner was arrested immediately, but later released on a R1500 fine. He got the fine because the regulations do allow for a fine to be paid when a person has been found to be in breach of the lockdown regulations and also since this was his first offence. This means that should he be found breaking other lockdown regulations, he will then have to be arrested and defend himself in a court of law,” explained Mchunu.
He indicated that the owner of this establishment may find himself losing his liquor licence or may face suspension, depending on what the Department of Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) decides.
“The SAPS will write a letter to the Liquor Authority, which falls under EDTEA, which will then decide whether they revoke his liquor licence, suspend his licence for a certain period, make him pay a fine (not the one already paid) or he could get away with a warning. That is entirely up to the department; we will wait for their update on the decision taken. We should have that information in our next JOC meeting next week,” he said.
Mchunu urged the community not to protect those breaking lockdown regulations, as the rules protect everyone from the virus. “The challenge we are facing is that the community knows all these law-breakers, but they are not reporting them; they are protecting them and that is not the right way of doing things if we are serious about beating the spread of the virus. The rules and regulations are there for a reason, so that we can all be safe and protect one another. It is not just JOC’s duty to ensure compliance, but the community also need to take a stand. We are thankful to the police for acting swiftly in this matter. We hope this will be a lesson to other business owners who are law-breakers,” added Mchunu.

Make sure you follow us on our social media platforms for regular updates