Smokkies hit with fines worth R7m
CLAMP DOWN: Liquor Authority.
The Western Cape Liquor Authority issued more than R7 million worth of fines to smokkies over a one-year period.
MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said the Western Cape Liquor Authority (WCLA) should be commended for inspecting 100% of legal dop traders for the first time.
More than 13 000 inspections were conducted between December 2021 and December 2022. Of these checks, 9 098 drank winkels were licensed.
A further 66 licenced sites that were registered after April 2022 will be inspected.
The objective of the inspections is to ensure alcohol traders are compliant.
Allen explained the inspections can lead to cases of non-compliance being submitted for prosecution.
Potential sanctions include the issuing of warnings, fines, stricter licence conditions, suspension or revocation of a licence.
He said that on the odd occasion, they found traders who were operating outside the parameters of the law.
The province’s second quarter crime statistics for the 2022/23 financial year, revealed that 16 people were killed, 170 raped and 468 grievous bodily harm assault cases reported which were all directly linked to liquor.
Allen said this is why the authority also have a role to play in combating these crimes, while ensuring that licenced liquor outlets are able to trade in a responsible, yet profitable manner.
He added: “I’m pleased to note that the deployment of additional junior liquor inspectors has primarily been in the priority areas, where repeat inspections are conducted to monitor levels of compliance, targeting underage drinking and on-selling of liquor to unlicensed premises.”