TONGA – Community members were in favour of a higher age restriction for the consumption of alcohol and stricter control over liquor outlets near schools and churches.
Amendments to the National Liquor Act were discussed during a meeting held by the Department of Trade and Industry last Monday. It was attended by the mayor of Nkomazi Cllr Thulisile Khoza, councillors, liquor dealers and SAPS.
The draft document states that the age restriction will be increased from 18 to 21.
Liquor outlets will also need to be more than 500 metres away from schools, churches, recreational facilities, residential areas and public institutions.
Owners of liquor stores closer than the stipulated distance were told that their businesses would not be closed down but extra measures would be put in place.
Amendments to the National Gambling Act have also been proposed and another meeting will be arranged so that the community can pose questions to the gambling board.
These include the strengthening of the regulations for casinos, limited pay-out machines and bingo, as well as to provide a broad-based public education programme about the risks and socio-economic impacts of gambling.
Khoza also addressed community members and warned them not to send their children to liquor outlets to collect beer bottles. She stated that the curiosity of children tends to the get the better of them, which leads them to taste the leftovers in the bottle and start using alcohol at a young age.
