Tag: sd law

Easter rules are needed, say liquor makers – but don’t ban booze until hospitals get full

26 Mar 2021
  • Easter weekend, and a potential third wave of coronavirus infections, requires swift action, says the alcohol industry.
  • That should not include any restrictions on alcohol sales again, though, not unless hospitals get full again.
  • It is also pre-emptively arguing against restricting inter-provincial travel again.
  • Instead the government should impose as longer curfew, and restrict gatherings to fewer people again, booze makers say.
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City of Cape Town has collected R26 000 in Covid-19 non-compliance fines

13 Mar 2021

Source:https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/city-of-cape-town-has-collected-r26-000-in-covid-19-non-compliance-fines-f1de47b4-d860-4ee7-ba42-653a42375892

Cape Town – The City last week collected R26 000 in fines for non-adherence to Covid-19 rules, as its environmental health staff continue to carry out compliance inspections at a range of premises, including funeral homes, shops and even Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.

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Call to amend Western Cape liquor act in a bid to halve murder rate

12 Nov 2020

Source:https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/call-to-amend-western-cape-liquor-a…

Cape Town – People tasked with the provincial Safety Plan have asked the Department of Community Safety to amend the provincial Liquor Act as a part of its plan to halve the murder rate in the province over the next 10 years.

Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said the amendments were further aligned with Premier Alan Winde’s “smart interventions”, aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.

“During the lockdown, my department monitored the number of homicides which demonstrated that at the beginning of the lockdown, the murder rate had been halved,” he said.

He said as the country moved into alert levels 4 and 3 the murder figures increased, but then decreased slightly as the ban on alcohol and the curfew were reinstated.

Among the key proposed amendments were altering the Western Cape Liquor Authority’s liquor licence fees, permanently confiscating seized liquor after the payment of an admission of guilt fine, and inserting an objective test within the act to determine whether alcohol has been sold to an unlicensed outlet or individual.

Some included obliging licence holders to take reasonable measures to determine that a client is of legal drinking age and aligning the act with the Liquor Products Act to ensure a uniform definition of “Illicit liquor”.

Fritz said he had noted that between March 27 and August 28, the Western Cape Liquor Authority had conducted 129 investigations into contraventions of the National Disaster Risk Management Act Regulations.

“Of the 129 investigations, 50 section 71 matters were placed on the Liquor Licensing Tribunal’s case roll, of which 40 licences were suspended and 10 applications were dismissed.”

Chief executive of the Beer Association of SA Patricia Pillay said following recent reports of alcohol outlets breaching the level 2 lockdown regulations, the association had committed itself to identifying establishments found breaking the law and cutting off their supply.

Pillay said beer manufacturers would request the details from municipalities and provincial liquor authorities of businesses whose licences had been revoked and would stop supplying alcohol to them.

CAPE TOWN RESTAURANTS DISAPPOINTED AS ALCOHOL BAN MATTER POSTPONED

12 Nov 2020

Source:https://ewn.co.za/2020/08/12/cape-town-restaurants-disappointed-as-alcohol-ban-matter-postponed

The applicants want all eateries with a valid liquor licence to be allowed to serve alcohol for on-site consumption.

CAPE TOWN – A group of Cape Town restaurants set to challenge the national lockdown regulations in court are disappointed that their case will only be heard at the end of the month.

The matter was set down for Tuesday but was postponed for two weeks.

The applicants want all eateries with a valid liquor licence to be allowed to serve alcohol for on-site consumption.

Owner at Chef’s Warehouse Liam Tomlin said the aim of the court application was to prevent a jobs bloodbath and a spate of permanent restaurant closures in South Africa.

“Every single restaurant that has a licence relies on that money; that’s why we have those licences to sell alcohol.”
In court papers, minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma argues alcohol sales are banned to avoid over burdening hospital trauma units and save resources for the fight against COVID-19.

However, the applicants claim there’s no evidence that consumption at licenced restaurants contributes to the problem and the business models of most eateries depend on alcohol sales.

The applicants ask the court to at least allow licenced restaurants in the western cape to sell alcohol.

Last week, the Western Cape government said there was sufficient health capacity to deal with trauma admissions and COVID-19 patients.

In court papers the minister said the regulations were meant to apply generally and protect all South Africans fairly and equally across the country.Back to top

 

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