Shebeen massacre: Amend liquor laws
|Published
BRIEF: Police Minister Bheki Cele in Khayelitsha BRIEF: Police Minister Bheki Cele in Khayelitsha
Police Minister Bheki Cele on Tuesday called for the national liquor laws to be amended to allow for stricter policing of
taverns and shebeens.
Cele made the call while he visited the scene of a massacre at Site B in Khayelitsha, where seven people were shot and killed and seven others, including a six-year-old child were injured early on Sunday morning.
Police believe the shooting is gang-related.
Cele was accompanied by Police Deputy Minister, Cassel Mathale, Deputy National Commissioner of Policing, Fannie Masemola, and Provincial Commissioner Yolisa Matakata.
Cops have arrested a 32-year-old male suspect, who was expected to make an appearance in court on charges of
murder and attempted murder.
A group of men charged into the illegal shebeen Sihawu Crescent and opened fire.
Cele said crime prevention operations such as “Lockdown” in the Western Cape and “O Kae Molao” in Gauteng must be intensified.
“Police are constitutionally mandated to prioritise the safety of all citizens at all times, not only over the festive season,” Cele said.
He said liquor was a common denominator in the contact crime category including murder, and instructed cops to join hands with state liquor authorities, and embark on operations that would see illegal liquor outlets close.
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said as a part of the Western Cape Safety Plan, his department has been tasked with amending legislation relating to alcohol, specifically the Western Cape Liquor Act.
He said the Western Cape Injury Mortality Survey (2006 to 2016) highlighted that nearly 50% of homicide deaths in the province tested positive for alcohol.
He said over 70% of murders that occurred over weekends tested positive for alcohol.