During lockdown there have been many controversial opinions about the role that alcohol and alcohol abuse plays in terms of major and violent crimes.
These crimes can range from assault and murder to gender-based violence. The sight at the Krugersdorp Police Station recently would have brought tears to any party-goer’s eyes when law enforcement disposed of confiscated liquor.
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In an effort to minimise the level of crime, police on the West Rand have been working with the Gauteng Liquor Board, closing down illegal liquor outlets, issuing fines to liquor outlets that do not comply with licence regulations, and confiscating liquor found at those premises.
On Wednesday, 14 October, Major General Fred Kekana, the West Rand District Police Commissioner, took the lead to dispose of the 2 487 930ml liquor that was confiscated by West Rand Police since the start of April.
Police members and top staff from 13 precincts in the West Rand District were in attendance when the alcohol confiscated in their precincts was disposed of.
Kekana explained that recently confiscated alcohol was not included in the batch, as some of the cases against the owners have not been settled in court yet. Many of the owners of the illegal outlets have paid an admission of guilt fine and the cases against them have been settled.
Once the contents of the bottles had been poured down the drain at the Krugersdorp Police Station, the bottles, in terms of the law, will be sold back to licensed liquor outlets.
The proceeds from these sales will go to the state coffers and not to one specific station, “… towards the betterment of service delivery in the country,” said Kekana.
He said the community should not be surprised when they see police vehicles delivering crates with liquor bottles, as those are the empty bottles being sold back in the area where they were confiscated.
The week before, they confiscated 174 two-litre bottles filled with homemade beer in Westonaria. Kekana said that beer had to be destroyed immediately and could not be stored. In this case the containers were confiscated as evidence in the cases.
The following amounts were confiscated in these precincts: Bekkersdal 717 220ml, Fochville 37 500ml, Hekpoort 171 000ml, Kagiso 63 020ml, Khutsong 41 500, Krugersdorp 170 300ml, Magaliesburg 3 000ml, Muldersdrift 792 000ml, Randfontein 483 390ml, Tarlton 99 000ml and Westonaria 63 000ml.
