Liquor traders warned to operate within the law
As part of their efforts to strengthen responsible liquor trading, the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison will be hosting at workshop for liquor traders in Schoemansdal.
SCHOEMANSDAL – All liquor traders are urged to attend a workshop by the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL) at the local community hall tomorrow (May 18) at 10:00.
This is the third workshop the department will host in the province to strengthen responsible liquor trading. The first two were held in the Mbombela and the Steve Tshwete Local Municipalities.
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During discussions, community members raise issues such as noise pollution, littering and improper parking. They stated that the noise affected nearby residents, patrons left their litter in the area and that traffic flow was disrupted due to patrons parking in the road.
Attendees also alleged that some establishments stayed open after normal trading hours and drugs like Nyaope were being sold.
Other complaints included corruption among officials who processed trading licenses and that some applications or updates took long to be finalised.
Mr. Eric Kholwane, MEC for Economic Development and Tourism called on officials to treat applications equally and told the community to report any corruption.
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Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Mr. Pat Ngomane urged traders to work within the law and said they needed to understand the impact of irresponsible trading on crime prevention and road safety efforts by government.
Liquor traders were encouraged to trade responsibly, ensure they don’t make alterations to their establishments without notifying the relevant authorities as it may affect the validity of their trading licenses and ensure that there are adequate ablutions facilities for their patrons.
