As from Sunday, 1 April 2012, the remaining provisions of the Western Cape Liquor Act, the Western Cape Liquor Amendment Act and the Western Cape Liquor Regulations will be in effect.
Minister Winde said: "I am pleased that after ten years in the making, the Western Cape Liquor Act is now in effect. The act is the single largest intervention to reduce alcohol abuse and its related harms in our province. Through the act, we aim to reduce the number of drinking spots in residential areas. We will also be cracking down on distributors and retailers who supply the estimated 25 000 illegal shebeens currently operating in our residential communities. Under the act, they will be liable for penalties that include very heavy fines, jail terms and the seizure of assets. We will not stand idly by as alcohol continues to destroy our communities; we are taking them back from the clutches of alcohol abuse."
Minister Winde added: "We also plan to implement the "high street model", creating zones where alcohol may legally be sold and consumed. These high streets will provide secure business environments with increased lighting, policing, pedestrian walkways and partnerships with taxi associations to ensure that people drink more responsibly and get home safely."
The enactment of the Liquor Act on 1 April has a number of implications for liqour licensing in the Western Cape:
Phumzile Van Damme
Spokesperson for Minister Winde
Cell: 082 378 2235
Follow Minister Winde at: www.twitter.com/alanwinde