The government did not mince its words when it warned that alcohol causes cancer, but in a country known for its resilience, sharp humour, and love of its drink, the message landed less like a lecture and more like the opening act of a comedy show.

The warning, reposted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on December 27, said, “Alcohol causes cancer. Even light drinking can raise cancer risk and cause harm, which increases with dose and frequency. It causes DNA damage, impairs DNA repair, promotes chronic inflammation, and disrupts hormones.”

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What followed was a flood of reactions that captured South Africa’s complicated relationship with alcohol. Some joked that the message had arrived too late; they were already drunk.

Others insisted December was not the time for such ‘negativity,’ while a few sarcastically suggested shutting down liquor companies altogether if longevity was the real goal.

There were quips linking DNA damage to the infamous ‘phuza face,’ playful toasts to the warning itself, and tongue-in-cheek declarations of ‘let me drink to that.’

According to the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks, South Africans spend an average of around R414m on alcohol every day during the festive period, showing just how entrenched drinking is in holiday culture.

Douglasdale Police Station Station commander, Brigadier Veeshani Arikum, said that the consequences are visible on the ground.

She said while drunk-driving operations fall under the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s (JMPD) mandate, the Douglasdale Police Station is dealing with alcohol-related crimes linked to liquor outlets.

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“We have intensified operations around liquor outlets and especially in informal settlements where we have seen liquor-related crimes like assaults and robberies,” Arikum said. “To date, we have closed eight unlicensed outlets.”

JMPD’s Xolani Fihla failed to comment on the following questions despite follow-ups.

• Can you confirm whether SAPS has intensified festive season operations in the Fourways area related to alcohol consumption and road safety?
• How many roadblocks or compliance operations have been conducted in Fourways so far, this festive season?
• How many motorists have been arrested for drinking and driving in Fourways during this period?
• Any advice to motorists as they prepare to come back from the holidays?

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