[ad_1]
This is according to the Western Cape Community Security Minister Albert Fritz, who said his department is tasked with devising a plan to reduce violence and killings in the province.
Fritz said the amendment to the alcoholic beverages law is in line with Prime Minister Alan Winde’s “Smart Interventions” aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.
“During the lockdown, my department monitored the number of homicides, which showed that at the beginning of the lockdown, the homicide rate had been cut in half. However, as we moved to alert levels 4 and 3, the murder numbers increased, but then decreased slightly as the alcohol prohibition and curfew were reinstated, ”said Fritz.
These are not sustainable interventions, he said, as they have a major effect on the economy and contribute to unemployment in vulnerable communities.
“That is why I agree with Prime Minister Winde that the elimination of alcohol needs to be accompanied by smart interventions, such as the proposed amendments, which aim to reduce alcohol-related harm,” he said.
According to Fritz, the key amendments proposed to alter the regulations of the Western Cape Liquor Authority (WLCA) include the following:
- Definitively confiscate the seized liquor after payment of a fine for admission of guilt.
- Insert an objective test within the law to determine if alcohol has been sold to an unlicensed establishment / individual.
