Gauteng Liquor Board toothless without new licensing legislation

The Gauteng Liquor Board (GLB) has revealed that it does not have the power to revoke existing liquor licenses, nor does it have the ability to take seriously any objections which are raised as to the renewal of existing licenses without new legislation.

This was revealed to the Gauteng Economic Development Portfolio Committee after the Democratic Alliance had requested that GLB is summoned to appear before the committee to provide an explanation as to why there has been an increasing number of complaints about licensing and the growing number of illegal operators across the province.

The GLB explained to the committee that almost half of all liquor traders in Gauteng do not possess legal liquor licenses, and in some areas – such as Cosmo City, only 1 in 4 premises actually have a license.

The board expressed concern that unless the current Liquor Act is replaced by legislation that has been mooted for a number of years already, the situation will continue to spiral out of control.

Delays in the processing of new applications, fake licenses, and illegal establishments mushrooming across the province will remain the order of the day if Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Lebogang Maile continues to wring his hands on the matter.

MEC Maile must expedite the process of ensuring that this legislation is brought before the Gauteng Legislature to resolve these issues, not only to ensure that illegal operators are brought to book, but to ensure that legal businesses can begin to trade sooner rather than later.